Top three NEC battle set for Friday night in Smithfield
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bulldogs put their four-game winning streak on the line under the Friday night lights in Smithfield, when they welcome Robert Morris to the Bryant Track and Turf for a Northeast Conference battle. Both teams are coming off victories, with Bryant knocking off LIU Brooklyn Sunday and Robert Morris taking care of Saint Francis U. The top 100 fans in attendance will receive a Bryant Bulldogs beanie hat.
Junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) is coming off back-to-back five-goal games over the weekend, while senior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) made 12 saves in Bryant's win over the Blackbirds.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Robert Morris
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bryant Track and Turf Complex
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Presto Sports
Live Updates via Twitter: @BryantWLax
THE SERIES
This is the evenest series between Bryant and an NEC foe, with the previous nine meetings between the two schools being split 5-4 in favor of the Bulldogs. Bryant has won two of the last three games in the series, including a Northeast Conference Semifinal victory in Smithfield in 2015.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris has had an up and down 2018 campaign, but are winners of four of their last six. They just completed their third stretch of back-to-back wins, defeating Mount St. Mary's and Saint Francis U in their most recent conference games.
The Colonials are led offensively by Melanie Gandy, who has recorded 25 points on the season. In the cage, Katelyn Miller has started all 13 games, recording a 9.56 goals-against average and .465 save percentage.
BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
A three-time tournament champion in the league, Bryant has gone 35-5 in the Northeast Conference under Jill Batcheller. The Bulldogs have won their last 13 regular season conference matchups dating back to the 2016 season and have not lost more than one NEC matchup since 2013.
GREAT BRITTON
Junior Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) has been an anchor in the Bulldog midfield this season, starring in the draw circle and in the ground ball battle, but took her talents to new heights on Sunday in Brooklyn. Along with three ground balls and three draw controls, the Monmouth Beach, N.J. native dished off a career-high four assists en route to a six-point outing, also a new career mark. With her 54th draw control of the season, she has bested all three of her sister Nicole's season totals in the circle. The elder Britton retains the program's DC record at 171, while Lauren sits sixth in Division I history and 10th overall with 95.
EXPERTS ON EFFICIENCY
Bryant's success on offense stems from taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them at a high rate, ranking in the Top 8 nationally in both shot percentage and free position percentage. Their .529 clip on eight-meter opportunities ranks fourth in the NCAA, while their .482 shot percentage sits seventh entering Thursday's games.
LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
Junior Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) filled up the stat sheet on Friday afternoon vs. Sacred Heart, doing about everything but scoring a goal for herself. She chipped in an assist, three ground balls, five draw controls and three caused turnovers in the 18-6 victory. The ground balls and caused turnovers are both career highs for the Essex Fells, N.J. native.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
After recording five on Friday afternoon, junior Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) became Bryant's all-time single-season draw controls record holder, with 60 on the season. She passed the record set by Shannon Burns, who recorded 59 in 2015. Also, with their 21 draw controls as a team on Friday afternoon, Bryant tied their Division I mark for DCs in a game set in 2015 vs. LIU Brooklyn.
YOU GET A GOAL, YOU GET A GOAL, EVERYBODY GETS A GOAL!
In a three-game stretch between Siena, Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart, a total of 32 players scored goals for Bryant, totaling 60 for the offense. Within this, three different players scored their first goal of the season: freshman Emma Lindquist (Windham, N.H.), and sophomores Maggie Pressler (Smithfield, R.I.) and Sloane Sweitzer (Old Lyme, Conn.). It was also Lindquist and Sweitzer's first goal of their careers when they scored against Central Connecticut.
DRAW!
Since their March 17 bout with Niagara, Bryant has been dominant at the draw circle, averaging 16 draw controls per game. Juniors Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) and Meredith James (Essex Fells, N.J.) have been leading the way, with James averaging 6.9 controls and Britton averaging 5.2 during that span. Entering the weekend, they sit second and third, respectively, in the NEC in draw controls per game. James also cracks the Top 25 nationally, recording 5.5 per game entering the weekend's games.
DEFENSE WINS... EVERYTHING
Bryant's defense has been a difference-maker for the Black and Gold in 2018, standing tall in wins. When holding teams to 10 or fewer goals, the Bulldogs are 8-1 on the season. In those eight wins, Bryant has allowed an average of 5.6 goals per game.
HOME... AWAY FROM HOME?
During the 2018 season, the Bulldogs have performed better away from Smithfield than they have at home this season. The Black and Gold are averaging 1.49 more goals per game and 2.63 less goals-against per game throughout the year. Their shot percentage (.489) and shot on goal percentage (.747) are also higher outside of Rhode Island last four seasons.
THE BATCHELLER FILE
Sixth-year head coach Jill Batcheller enters Friday afternoon with a 73-31 career record, including a 34-5 record in Northeast Conference games. She has not had a losing season in her tenure, and her teams have won at least 13 games in each of the last four seasons.