Bryant stymies Sacred Heart to open NEC play

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Goals from senior George Gill (Cork, Ireland) and sophomore Ben Williams (Unionville, Ontario), coupled with a clean sheet from senior Olivier Larente (LaSalle, Quebec) and the Bulldog defense, led Bryant to a 2-0 win over Sacred Heart to open Northeast Conference play Sunday at the Bulldog Soccer Field.

Gill scored in the 25^th minute and Williams added insurance in the 88^th for Bryant, which won for the third time in as many games.

Game Information
Bryant 2, Sacred Heart 0
Records: Bryant (4-3-0, 1-0-0); Sacred Heart (1-8-0, 0-2-0)
Location: Bulldog Soccer Field (Smithfield, R.I.) 

Coach Purcell's Comments
"We did very well today against a good side. Joe's a good coach. Their record doesn't indicate how good they are. We're banged up. We have six or seven starters out and the young boys come in, the freshmen and sophomores, did a great job. It was a total team effort. I'm very happy to start conference play at home with a nice win and more importantly, a great clean sheet." 

Scoring Summary
25' – Bryant 1, Sacred Heart 0 – Senior Zachary Valckenaere (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) sent a corner from the right side into the box, where Gill headed it inside the left post to put Bryant on the board.
88' – Bryant 2, Sacred Heart 0 – A free kick from senior Victor Rey (Lincoln, R.I.) was driven across to Williams, who headed the ball past the Pioneer keeper to double the Bulldog lead. 

Stats/Notes

• Bryant recorded 17 shots to Sacred Heart's 11. The Bulldogs put five shots on goal while the Pioneers recorded six.
• Larente tallied a season-high six saves.
• The assists for Rey and Valckanaere were the first of their careers.
• Williams has scored a goal in four of his last six contests. The sophomore recorded four shots on goal in the victory.
• The Bulldogs have won three straight games against Sacred Heart including back-to-back shutouts.
• Bryant is 3-1 at the Bulldog Soccer Field this season.

Up Next: Central Connecticut
Bryant is back in action Friday when the Bulldogs face Central Connecticut. 

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