Bulldogs travel to UMass Lowell for midweek matchup

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – One week after a dominant win over Siena, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team will look to carry its momentum into the final game of non-conference action Wednesday, traveling to The Bay State to take on UMass Lowell (3 p.m.).

But the Bulldogs (4-3) will face one of the hottest teams in the region when they take on the River Hawks (5-2), who enter Wednesday's bout riding a five-game winning streak dating back to the beginning of March. UMass Lowell has outscored opponents, 55-33, during that stretch, with wins over the likes of fellow NEC members Sacred Heart and LIU Brooklyn.

Leading scorer Rebecca Idson has scored 17 goals through seven games for the River Hawks this season, adding one assist, while Jane Dudley equals Idson's 18 points off 10 goals and eight helpers. Taylor Sokol (16 points) and Kaylan DiModugno (13) each have 11 scores on the season with Kendyl Finelli (15 points) leading the side with nine assists.

Idson also does her part on defense, where she ranks second on the team in caused turnovers (12) and third in ground balls (11). Kristina Keith sits near the top in both categories, boasting a team-high 15 caused turnovers with 14 ground balls, while Courtney Barrett is the leader in grounders, collecting 18 from between the pipes. Keith and Hana Caster each register a side-best nine draw controls, with Finelli adding eight.

Barrett enters Wednesday's contest with 53 saves and a .491 save percentage, also posting a 7.93 goals against average that ranks inside the nation's top-10.

The River Hawks are 3-1 at home this season, with their only loss coming in the opener back on Feb. 18. Links to live stats and a live broadcast of Wednesday's matchup can be found at bryantbulldogs.com.

SPRING OF SAM
Junior netminder Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) has been nothing short of spectacular between the pipes for the Black and Gold in 2017. The netminder won her second NEC Defensive Player of the Week award after a 10-save performance in a win over Siena last Wednesday, her third-straight outing recording double-digit saves. It was also her sixth-straight decision in which the third-year netminder limited opponents to single-digit goals. Santeramo now ranks third nationally with a .571 save percentage and 10th in Division I with an 8.23 goals against average. She also ranks 13th in saves per game (10.29), leading the Northeast Conference in all three categories.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Senior captain Molly Martin (Island Park, N.Y.) boasts her own pair of top-50 national rankings, sitting 50th in caused turnovers per game (1.71) and 28th in ground balls per game (3.14).

CARDINAL DIRECTION
Senior Ali Cardinal (Schenectady, N.Y.) had the Bulldogs headed north from the opening draw against the Saints and was named an NEC Prime Performer for her career day. Cardinal shattered her career highs in both goals and points, scoring six times against the Saints. Her offensive effort included a natural hat trick and five first-half tallies. The six-goal outing ties for the sixth-highest single-game scoring effort in the program's Division I era.

THE SERIES
Bryant is 2-0 all-time against UMass Lowell, who is now in its third year as a varsity program. The Bulldogs scored 16-3 and 11-9 wins in 2015 and 2016, respectively.