Bulldogs open in Smithfield against Crusaders Saturday at noon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's lacrosse team debuts in Smithfield Saturday afternoon, when the Bulldogs take on Holy Cross at noon in the first half of a lacrosse doubleheader at the Track & Turf Complex.

"We are so excited to be playing home," said head coach Jill Batcheller. "It is always good to be able to go through our normal home routine and play in front of the home crowd in Saturday's warm weather."

The Bulldogs (0-1) will be looking for their first win of the season following a 20-5 season-opening loss at No. 5/4 Stony Brook last weekend.

"We started out the game really believing in ourselves and playing with good composure," said Batcheller. "We did a good job on our clears, and that will be something for us to carry over into this weekend.

"We have been working on transitions on both ends in practice," she added. "That has been a big focus for us this week, as well as working on playing more cohesively."

The Crusaders (2-2) are fresh off a 9-4 loss to fellow R.I. school Brown Tuesday evening. Holy Cross collected its first win of the season Feb. 11 over Fairfield, 11-8, prior to dominating Iona, 10-0, a week later. Holy Cross opened the season against then-No. 17 Boston College, falling by a 19-8 mark, but the Crusaders managed a better scoring percentage than the Eagles.

"Holy Cross is a very high-tempo team," said Batcheller. "They push all over the field and have a lot of girls that can go to goal and score. They move the ball very fast throughout the whole field. They have played some really good lacrosse this season."

Senior midfielder Maddie Ward leads the Crusaders on the young season with 10 points off 10 goals, scoring a season-high three against both Fairfield and Iona. Ward's 10 tallies have come off just 14 shots, and the senior has placed 13-of-14 attempts on frame.

Freshman attack Maggie Moriarty seconds Ward with seven points off one goal and six assists, putting one between the pipes in the Crusaders 11-8 win over Fairfield. Tess MacKay sits second in goals scored with six and ranks second on the team with 11 ground balls.

Netminder Julia Maloney leads the team with 12 ground balls, while Anna Johnson has won 13 draws, grabbed 11 ground balls and forced five opponent turnovers in four outings. Maloney has a 9.00 goals against average and a .500 save percentage with 36 stops having played every minute between the pipes for the Crusaders.

"The most important thing for us is to be able to do is play our game and stay composed throughout their attack," said Batcheller. "That, and making sure we are running the systems we have been practicing."

HOME OPENERS
Under fifth-year head coach Jill Batcheller, the Bulldogs are 1-3 in home openers, finding their only win, 9-6, over Holy Cross in 2015.

BRYANT vs. HOLY CROSS
With the series tied, 3-3, the Bulldogs have captured wins in the last three meetings. But those wins have come by a combined five goals, including a pair of one-goal battles and one that needed overtime to decide.

FRESHMEN FIREPOWER
Freshman Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) not only earned her first-career start in her collegiate debut last Saturday but was the team's leading scorer with two goals and one assist against No. 5/4 Stony Brook. The only first-year Bulldog to earn a starting nod, Breglia led the side with five shots in the contest. The attack was one of three frosh to see time in the season opener, and classmate Maggie Pressler (Smithfield, R.I.) made an impression of her own in her debut. Scoring back-to-back goals for the Black and Gold midway through the first half, the rookie opened the Bulldogs' scoring efforts and found the back of the net twice in 60 seconds to stun the Seawolves. Midfielder Katherine Clark (New Fairfield, Conn.) also earned her first career appearance for Bryant.

IN NET
Junior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) recorded the loss against Stony Brook, starting for the Bulldogs' in the 2017 season opener. In her first-half appearance, Santeramo faced 15 shots and saved three of them before giving way to classmate Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.), who checked in for the back half of the game and totaled two saves on the Seawolves' 10 attempts.