Women's soccer opens 2014 season Fri. vs Hartford

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Just days away from opening its third full season of Division I eligibility, the Bryant University women's soccer team's goal remains the same; finish in the top four in the Northeast Conference standings.

After an injury-plagued 2013 campaign resulted in a 5-13-1 overall finish, this year's Bulldogs, composed of a mixture of young, athletic newcomers and savvy upperclassmen, are primed for a bounce-back year.

"Overall, our goal is to improve upon a disappointing season a year ago," said head coach Chris Flint who is set to enter his 15th season at the helm of the Bryant women's soccer program. "We have very high expectations and our goal still remains to be one of the top four teams come November.

The freshmen are all tremendous athletes, who will compete for playing time right away, but we will rely on our upperclassmen to provide the ever-important leadership on the field."

Leading the charge for the Bulldogs in 2014 are a trio of seasoned veterans in junior Allison DeBenedictis (Norwell, Mass), and seniors Katy Biagi (Natick, Mass.) and Suzanne Sanders (West Chester, Pa.). DeBenedictis, an All-NEC First Team Defender last year, who scored a goal to go along with a team-best four assists, will attempt make the transition to forward for the 2014 season. Joining her up front will be Biagi, who is also making a move from the midfield to forward to help bolster the scoring output for the Black and Gold, and Sanders, the lone captain on the relatively young roster.

Junior Scout Benson (Lynnfield, Mass.) and sophomore Kianna Woods (Stafford Springs, Conn.), who each found the back of the net last year, will add some depth up front for Bryant, along with sophomore Melaina Aglieco (Rocky Hill, Conn.), and freshmen Haley Reddish (Natick, Mass.) and Alyssa Riccione (Mohnton, Pa.).

In the midfield, the Bulldogs will look to senior Emily Barbato (Sutton, Mass.), sophomore Kaitlyn Spangler (Acton, Mass), and redshirt freshman Hannah Crofut (East Amherst, N.Y.). Barbato, the most senior of the group, has appeared in 49 matches in her first three seasons in Smithfield, making 10 starts last year, while Spangler appeared in all 19 matches as a freshman, making four starts in 2013. Crofut, who sat out last season, will look to make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs this season. Senior Danielle Scheuer (Acton, Mass.) and freshmen Claire Bergh (Calgary, Alberta) and Gabrielle Smith (Smithfield, R.I.) will help strengthen the Black and Gold midfield, as well.

Last season, the Bulldogs allowed a league-worst 1.84 goals per match, however, sophomore goalkeeper Kaylan Conrad (Avon, Conn.) will look to improve the Bryant backline in her second season in Smithfield. In 2013, Conrad allowed only 15 goals in 13 games as a freshman, earning a pair of shutouts in the process.

The Black and Gold defense, which will be a strong mixture of upperclassmen and newcomers, will be led by senior Michelle Durand (Sudbury, Mass.), who started 11 games last year, and junior Sarah Schucker (Nanuet, N.Y.), who started nine games in 2013 before suffering a season-ending injury. Junior Shea Williams (Londonderry, N.H.), one of just two Bulldogs to start all 19 games last season, senior Evelyn Hurwitz (Newton, Mass.), sophomore Abigail Smith (Kingston, N.H.), and freshmen Brigitte Donaghy (Toronto, Canada), Kristen O'Connor (Beverly, Mass.), Amber Thomas (Rochester, N.Y.) and Marley Christian (Fulton, Md.) will also see substantial time on the pitch for Bryant in the defensive third.

After a strong showing in their final exhibition match on Sunday, the Black and Gold will open the regular season on Friday when they welcome Hartford to Bulldog Soccer Field for a 4 p.m. showdown. Last year, the Hawks squeaked out a 1-0 victory in West Hartford, Conn., thanks to a goal in the 82nd minute.

"We had a lot of tough injuries last year, mixed with a lot of one-goal losses (nine)," added Flint. "If we can stay healthy, we certainly have enough talent to reach our goal of being one of the top four teams in the conference come playoff time."

Bryant will have the opportunity to take a step toward that goal on Friday.

For links to live stats and streaming video of Friday's match and all the latest news on the Bryant University women's soccer team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.