Preseason favorite Bulldogs aim for third-straight NEC title and NCAA tournament bid

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Looking to make it three-consecutive Northeast Conference Regular-Season and Tournament Championships, head coach Jill Batcheller and the Bryant University women's lacrosse team will defend their crown in 2016 as the league's preseason favorite for a second-straight year.

"I'm extremely proud of what this program has been able to achieve in such a short period, and being picked to finish first in the preseason poll is a true honor," said Batcheller. "The conference is getting so strong and well-balanced from top to bottom. We certainly need to earn our recognition, and this preseason ranking will mean nothing if we aren't playing important games in May."

Batcheller, the two-time reigning NEC Coach of the Year, and her Black and Gold unit will begin their title defense and quest for a third-successive NCAA tournament berth with an away matchup against first-time opponent Vermont on Monday at 12:00 p.m.

After finishing the 2015 season third in the America East with an 11-7 overall record, the Catamounts have been selected to finish fourth in their conference to begin the year.

Vermont will be returning five of its top six point getters and goal scorers from a season ago, three of whom were all-conference honorees. Jen Johnson, the program's all-time winningest coach, will be returning for her 12th season at the helm.

An America East First Team selection in senior midfielder Vanessa VanderZalm will be leading the returning talent for the Catamounts. VanderZalm scored 40 goals in 2015 to secure 52 points, both ranking second on the team. She led the squad in draw controls (57), caused turnovers (41) and ground balls (50), and ranked inside the top-10 nationally in both caused turnovers per game (3rd) and ground balls per game (9th).

Vermont's returning all-conference selections also include a pair of America East All-Rookie honorees. Sophomores Elena McWright and Courtney Cole finished first and second among Catamount freshmen with 14 and 10 goals, respectively, in 2015.

"Vermont is certainly a strong, fast, aggressive opponent," said Batcheller. "They have many threats on the offensive end, but our defense has really stepped up this offseason by playing more as a unit. I think it will be a great test for us, and we're just excited to get this season underway."    

Batcheller and her Bulldogs will look to build upon back-to-back record-setting seasons that have seen the squad finish with a combined 29-9 record and 13-1 conference mark since the 2014 campaign.

"Some of the themes this preseason were being a good teammate, being a good player on and off the field each day, and just having a positive attitude," said Batcheller. "We've seen our players make great strides trying to get better every day. We have a ton of depth on this year's team, and I can see a sense of unselfishness in the girls that will serve us well us as we move forward." 

ATTACK

Unquestionably the most experienced unit on this year's team, the Bulldog attack will be returning 75 percent of its offensive production from a season ago. Seniors Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) will be the catalysts steering the Black and Gold in 2016 after combining for 83 goals and 133 points last year.

"The seniors we have at the attack have really taken the underclassmen under their wing during the offseason and preseason, and they have elevated the play of everyone around them," said Batcheller. "The effort has been so dynamic, and these seniors will do an outstanding job of setting the tone for everyone else from the locker room to the playing field."

Descalzo, the reigning NEC Offensive Player of the Year and IWLCA All-Region Second Team selection, returns for her fourth and final season. After leading the Bulldogs in goals scored (61), shots (139) and shots on goal (111) last year, the Hauppauge, N.Y., native will be looked upon to the head the offense. Her 3.39 goals per game ranked second in the NEC and fifth nationally in 2015.   

"This offseason, Lauren has worked on fine tuning her game and becoming a better all-around player," said Batcheller. "She will naturally lead the offense, not just because of her ability, but because she's so competitive and cares so much about the team's success. Her drive to win is rivaled by few."

Britton will look to follow up consecutive career-setting seasons in her final campaign in a Black and Gold uniform. The Monmouth Beach, N.J., product was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team in 2015 and led the league in assists per game (2.28), ranking fifth nationally. She netted 22 goals for 63 points and registered 46 draw controls.

"Nicole's confidence has risen to a new level this season, which will result in a strong year," said Batcheller. "She has always been a gritty player with ground balls and draw controls, but she has developed into a real offensive threat, which I think we started to see glimpses of towards the middle part of last season."  

Two more crucial attackers will be junior Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) and sophomore Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.). Columbus returns after an outstanding sophomore campaign that earned her All-NEC First Team honors. The New Yorker broke out in 2015 with a team-high 71 points off 52 goals and 19 assists. She led the conference with five game-winning scores and ranked 26th nationally in total goals, and 30th nationally in total points. The triple threat of Descalzo, Columbus and Britton all ranked inside the top-50 nationally in points per game in 2015, sitting 25th, 30th and 42nd, respectively.   

Brown is also expected to be a key contributor to the offense this season, just one year removed from a freshman campaign in which she notched 11 goals and 15 points to head all Bryant rookies.

"Both Emily and Catlin bring back a ton of experience for us, and they will certainly add a new look to our offense," said Batcheller. "Every time they receive the ball, they immediately look to attack the cage and really convey that aggressive mindset that we've been trying to instill in our players."

MIDFIELD

With potentially 10 players jockeying for time at the position, the middies will be utilized in a plethora of ways for the Bulldogs this season.

"This is the area we feel we have the most depth, and everyone will certainly see time," said Batcheller.

Junior Shannon Sullivan (Farmingdale, N.Y.) appeared in 18 games as a sophomore, and she'll be looked upon to be the vocal leader this season, replacing the now-graduated Shannon Burns.

Heading the sophomore midfielders will be Meaghan Brennan (Glen Head, N.Y.). Brennan started all 19 games as a frosh, and her 10 goals and 13 points earned her NEC All-Rookie Team honors.

Three more second-year middies, Kristie VosWinkel (Newton, Conn.), Laura Fullam (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Haley Hallenbeck (Indianapolis, Ind.), will all see significant time this season. VosWinkel appeared in all 19 games for the Bulldogs as a rookie, while Fullam appeared in 15 games with six starts on the defense, picking up 18 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers.

"We have a really good combination of offensive and defensive mids this season, which will allow us to be more versatile in our gameplay," said Batcheller. "The sophomores have done a great job of being more vocal on the field during the preseason, communicating with one another and leading the freshmen."

The rookies who will be relied on heavily in the midfield are Jasmine Perkins (West Babylon, N.Y.), Jess DeMeo (West Sinai, N.Y.), Emma Ahlrichs (Zionsville, Ind.) and Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.).

"I'm really excited to see these rookies make significant contributions to the team," said Batcheller. "They are not afraid to take risks on the defensive end, they play great one-on-one defense, and they are relentless when attacking the cage.

"They are all such gritty players who don't play like true freshmen. They really have a knack for the speed of Division I lacrosse, which will allow them to step in right away for us."    

DEFENSE

A trio of juniors headline the 2016 Black and Gold defensive unit. Molly Martin (Island Park, N.Y.), Carly Cronin (Feeding Hills, Mass.) and Dori Hellar (Huxbury, Mass.) return with vast amounts of playing experience under their belts.

Martin and Cronin are the most decorated of the three, each being tabbed as an All-NEC First Teamer in 2015. The speedy Martin led the Bulldogs with 44 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers, while the aggressive Cronin finished second on the team with 38 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers. The former ranked inside the national top-50 for both caused turnovers per game (36th) and ground balls per contest (50th).

"Although Molly and Carly were all-conference first teamers last year, they've improved so much this offseason and used the individual recognition as motivation rather than a reason to be content," said Batcheller. "Both have become more aggressive on the ball and have turned into take-away defenders, two aspects that coach Kelsey McGovern really stressed this offseason."

Sophomores Emma Bargiacchi (Chester, N.Y.), Madison McNally (East Northport, N.Y) and Amanda Moss (Lebanon, N.J.) are all expected to see significant action at the backline this season, as well.

GOAL

The Bulldogs return a pair of sophomore goalies for the 2016 campaign, as the two split time in the crease last season. Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) emerged as a consistent option between the pipes late in the year, appearing in 18 games with 17 starts. She posted a 9.79 goals against average to rank third in the NEC, concluding the year with 88 saves and a 10-3 record.    

Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.) appeared in 12 games in net as a rookie, earning starts in two contests. She registered an 8.48 goals against average and finished the season with a 4-2 overall record. 

"These two push each other so much and are each playing at their highest level," said Batcheller. "It is going to be a battle for time all season long. Both worked on their clears this offseason, getting active with their hands and being able to clear the ball quickly so that the offense can work faster in transition. Both have different personalities that are beneficial to the team at different points of the game."

The first battle of the 16-game slate is set for Monday in a matchup against the Catamounts, which can be watched online free of charge at AmericaEast.tv.