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Photo by: DSPics.com
Photo by: DSPics.com
Posted: Nov 07, 2018

Bryant pitted against SFU on Semifinal Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – For the first time since 2014, the Bryant University men's soccer team will be participating in the Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Championships, as the third-seeded Bulldogs are set to take on the second-seeded Saint Francis U Red Flash in the first of two semifinals.

The winners will meet in Sunday's final, with the conference championship and the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship at stake.

Friday's Particulars

Opponent: Saint Francis U

Time: 11 a.m.

Location: LIU Field | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Live Stream: NEC Front Row

Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

The Series

Saint Francis U has won half of the meetings between the squads, taking five of 10 interactions. The Bulldogs and Red Flash drew their encounter in 2018.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

  • Bryant's last postseason trip was in 2014, when it made a trip to the conference semifinals. The Bulldogs are playing for just their second berth in a conference final since 1988.
  • Bryant is playing in its 18th overall postseason since the program's inception in 1968. It is the program's third postseason berth in the Division I era.
  • Freshman Ben Williams (Unionville, Ontario) leads the Bulldogs with 10 points in 10 starts, recording four goals and two assists on the season. Seven of his points have come in conference play.
  • Sophomore Felipe Cypriano (Malden, Mass.), the man responsible for the playoff-clinching goal against Central Connecticut, has five points this season, which is second on the team. He entered the 2018 campaign without any scoring to his name.
  • Redshirt-sophomore Antonio Terceros (Toronto, Ontario) also has five points this season, including a game winner against Robert Morris in the conference opener.
  • Terceros and the team's three midfielders, Cypriano, junior Victor Rey (Lincoln, R.I.) and sophomore Charles DeSantis (Saint-Mathias-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada) have appeared in all 15 of Bryant's matches.
  • Defensively, the Bulldogs have recorded a 0.36 goals-against average in conference play this season. That conference GAA ranks second nationally behind Colgate, who allowed two goals in nine matches of Patriot League play.
  • Along with the 0.36 GAA, junior Olivier Larente (LaSalle, Montreal, Canada) has a .906 save percentage in league games this year. Overall, Larente's resume includes a 1.25 goals-against average and .735 save percentage.

 

A bit about the Red Flash

  • The Red Flash's draw with Bryant was the fourth game of a nine-game unbeaten streak that ended on November 2 with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Robert Morris, who was playing for its playoff life.
  • Saint Francis U is playing in its fifth tournament in the last six years after missing last year's edition by just one point.
  • SFU packs the league's most powerful offensive punch, finishing with 28 goals in 16 matches this season, a 1.75 per game average.
  • The league's leading scorer is a Red Flash, as Mario Mastrangelo finished the season with 24 points, seven more than the second-place competitor.
  • In net, Alex Morgret has recorded a 1.03 goals-against average and .720 save percentage in 12 starts for Saint Francis U.

 

For an inside look at the Bryant University men's soccer program, be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.