Familiar rivals to face off Friday on Staten Island
SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Two familiar foes will meet on Staten Island on Friday afternoon when Bryant heads to Wagner in their penultimate regular season game in 2018 with home-field advantage in the NEC playoffs on the line.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 21-6 victory over Saint Francis on Senior Day Sunday afternoon, with redshirt-sophomore Melissa Wamp (Florham Park, N.J.) leading the way with six points and juniors Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) and Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and senior Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) chipping in three each.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Wagner
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Hameline Field – Staten Island, N.Y.
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Follow along on Twitter: @BryantWLax
THE SERIES
These two teams have met 13 times overall, eight of which have come in the last four seasons with both a regular season and championship meetings in each season. The Bulldogs have won eight of the last nine games in the series and are 9-4 overall against the Seahawks.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner enters the weekend at the same pace as the Bulldogs, winning 10 of their 14 games on the season and all five of their Northeast Conference games. They enter the game on a six-game winning streak, coming off wins on the road at LIU Brooklyn and Sacred Heart.
Wagner is led offensively by Lauren Ednie and Anna Belle Reilly. Ednie has compiled 44 points on 39 goals and 5 assists this season, while Reilly has recorded 19 goals and 25 assists to also total 44 points. In the cage, Lucy Darlington has started all 14 games, with a 9.70 goals-against average and .497 save percentage.
BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
A three-time tournament champion in the league, Bryant has gone 36-5 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.
YOU GOTTA FIGHT... FOR YOUR RIGHT... TO HOST
After the previous four Northeast Conference tournaments being hosted in Smithfield, one game will decide where the 2018 edition of the tournament will be. The winner of Bryant-Wagner on Friday afternoon will be the host, with the Bulldogs and Seahawks being the only two teams left in contention to win the regular-season championship.
SO WE MEET AGAIN...
Bryant and Wagner will meet for the 10th time in the last six seasons on Friday afternoon after battling in each of the last four conference championship games. Six of the previous seven meetings have been held in Smithfield, R.I., with April 2016's matchup being played on Staten Island, a 7-4 Bryant victory. It is Bryant's most-played opponent since it started its program (13 games), with CCSU and Sacred Heart (12 times) placing second in that category.
SENIORS 2K18
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 50-19, including a dominating 24-2 regular season record against NEC opponents. They hold two NEC Tournament titles and look to capture their third ring in four seasons.
TOP DAWGS
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 10 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.
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 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.
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 .486 shot percentage sits seventh entering the weekend's games.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
After recording five against Sacred Heart, 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.
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 10-1 on the season. In those ten wins, Bryant has allowed an average of 5.9 goals per game.
THE BATCHELLER FILE
Sixth-year head coach Jill Batcheller enters Friday afternoon with a 75-31 career record, including a 36-5 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.