Bryant hosts Saint Francis U for Senior Day Sunday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- With five consecutive wins under their belt, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team holds its annual Senior Day celebration on Sunday afternoon, playing host to Saint Francis U in the Bulldogs' final regular season home game on the 2018 schedule.

 

Bryant is coming off a 15-9 win over Robert Morris on Friday night in which they received four goals from junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and sophomore Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.), while senior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) made nine saves.

The Bulldogs have never lost in this series, taking all nine editions dating back to 2009. In that season, Bryant won 20-10 in Loretto and have won the four games in Smithfield by a combined score of 56-41. DeMeo and senior Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) each recorded four points, while Bryant's defense held the Red Flash to just two goals in the game's first 45 minutes.

 

Saint Francis U is coming off their first Northeast Conference win of the season, a 15-13 victory in New Britain, Conn. against Central Connecticut. Saint Francis went on a three-goal run late in the second half to seal the deal, with Paige Brady and Morgan Day each chipping in a goal and assist during the deciding spurt.

 

The Red Flash are led offensively by Jessica Mazzur, who leads the team in goals (40), assists (16), points (56) and free position goals (14). Emlieigh Scott also has 24 goals on the year. In the cage, Ashley Stoessel has started 12 of SFU's 14 games, recording a 12.27 goals-against average and .455 save percentage.

 

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.

 

The Senior Class of 2018 has been a key contributor to the Bulldog's success over the past four seasons.  They have gone for a regular season record of 49-19, including a dominating 23-2 regular season record against NEC opponents.  They hold two NEC Tournament titles and look to capture their third ring in four seasons.

 

Selected as the Northeast Conference's preseason favorites, Bryant is proving why as the conference schedule hits its midway point. Entering the weekend, Bryant leads the league in 12 of the 16 major NCAA statistical categories. On the individual side, junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and sophomore Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) are ranked 1-2 in total goals and total points, as well as their per-game averages in those categories.

 

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 last 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 99.

 

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 eighth entering the weekend's games.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 9-1 on the season. In those eight wins, Bryant has allowed an average of 5.9 goals per game.