Five Bulldogs earn All-NEC honors
POSTSEASON-BOUND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DIVISION I, BULLDOGS PLACE FIVE ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Less than 24 hours before taking the field in its first-ever Northeast Conference Tournament appearance, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team saw five of its own rewarded for fantastic 2013 seasons, as a quintet of Bulldogs earned all-conference accolades Thursday night.
Junior midfielder Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook, Conn.) highlighted the group with a First Team All-NEC selection, while senior defender Nicole Rettinger (Dix Hills, N.Y.), junior attack Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.), and junior midfielder Kimberley Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) were each named to the All-NEC Second Team. Freshman attack Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) rounded out the group with an All-NEC Rookie Team honor.
Vendel put together one of the finest campaigns in Bryant's Division I program history in 2013, closing the regular season with a team-best 50 points -- good for second-best in the DI era -- en route to the team's only All-NEC First Team nod. Vendel's first-career all-league honor comes on the back of a career-high and league-leading 42 goals to go along with eight assists in 16 games this season, helping carry the Bulldogs to their best-ever NEC finish and first DI postseason berth. Vendel's 2.62 goals per game rank second in the conference, while her 3.12 points per game rank sixth. The junior midfielder has recorded at least one point in all but a single game this season, tallying eight hat tricks in a campaign highlighted by a career-best seven-goal outburst against Quinnipiac on March 28. Vendel also enters postseason play ranked in the NEC's top 10 in shots per game (6th, 4.75), caused turnovers per game (3rd, 1.69; 23rd nationally) and free position goals per game (3rd, 0.75) and leads her team in goals (42; 38th nationally), points (50), game-winning goals (2), draw controls (29) and caused turnovers (27).
With her 2013 All-NEC Second Team honor, Rettinger earns her fourth-straight all-league recognition to help cap off an illustrious career for one of Bryant's top defenders in program history. Her third-consecutive second team pick, Rettinger earned a first team selection in 2010. The anchor of the Bulldog defense over the past four seasons, she finished the 2013 regular season with 27 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers. However, the senior captain's impact goes far beyond the stat sheet, as Rettinger is responsible for her opponent's top offensive threat game-in and game-out, handling the responsibility with consistency and success. She is also the team leader, on the field and off, and has been a driving force behind the Bulldogs' run up the league ladder.
Bloom's second All-NEC Second Team selection comes behind yet another strong season for the junior attack. Bloom's 45 points (25 goals, 20 assists) rank second on the team, while her 20 assists more than double that of any other Bulldog. Within the NEC, she rans seventh in assists per game (1.25) and ninth in points per outing (2.81). Bloom has recorded five hat tricks in 16 games this season, recording five points in a game on five occasions. The former NEC Rookie of the Year ranks second all-time in Bryant's Division I history in career points (125) and goals (84), while her 41 assists are the most in Bryant's DI era.
Sniffen put together a breakout year in 2013, finishing the regular season with 44 points on the strength of 37 goals -- good for second on the team -- and seven assists. The junior's best campaign yet, Sniffen was dangerous in transition and on the draw and proved to be among the most well-rounded players in the league, grabbing 24 draw controls with 30 ground balls en route to the first all-conference honor of her career. The second team selection comes off a campaign in which the midfielder recorded at least one goal in all 16 regular-season games, including six hat tricks and three four-point outings. Sniffen's 1.06 free position goals per game rank first in the NEC, while her 2.31 goals per game are fourth best in the conference and her 2.75 points per contest sit in the league's top 10.
The top-scoring freshman in the NEC in 2013, Descalzo picks up her first league honor in the form of an All-Rookie Team selection, closing out an impressive regular-season campaign with a whopping 33 goals in her first season donning the Black and Gold. The only Bryant freshman to earn a start in every contest this year, Descalzo ranks fourth on the team in overall scoring, while her 33 goals are third best among the Bulldogs. The rookie ranks sixth on the conference circuit in goals per game (2.06) and seventh in shots per game (4.50), posting five hat tricks, two five-goal outings and four contests with at least four so far points this season.
The third-seeded Bulldogs are set to take on second-seeded Central Connecticut State University in their first-ever Division I postseason appearance Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the second of two NEC Semifinal matchups in West Long Branch, N.J. All three NEC Tournament games can be seen live and free of charge at NECFrontRow.com.