Women's soccer hosts two over long weekend

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Fresh off its first win of the 2014 regular season, the Bryant University women's soccer team gets back after it over the holiday weekend hosting a pair of familiar foes in UMass, Thursday (4 p.m.), and Holy Cross, Tuesday (4 p.m.), at Bulldog Soccer Field.

The Bulldogs enter Labor Day Weekend with a 1-1 overall mark after splitting a pair on opening weekend. On Friday, the Black and Gold fell behind early to a very strong Hartford team, and despite controlling the second half of play, eventually fell 1-0. However, Bryant responded on Sunday at Maine, when senior Katy Biagi (Natick, Mass.) and redshirt freshman Hannah Crofut (East Amherst, N.Y.) connected in the 10th minute for the lone score of the match.

Sophomore keeper Kaylan Conrad (Avon, Conn.) has played all 180 minutes between the pipes thus far for the Bulldogs, allowing the lone goal while making six saves.

On Thursday, Bryant will host a UMass team still in search of its first victory of the 2014 season. In their season opener vs. Towson, the Minutewomen answered an early Tiger goal in the 23rd minute in the form of a Megan Burke score to earn a 1-1 tie, while on Sunday vs. James Madison, the Dukes scored twice in the second half to secure the 2-1 victory. Redshirt sophomore Danielle Kriscenski has logged all 200 minutes in goal for UMass, making nine saves and allowing 1.35 goals per contest.

Last year, the Minutewomen squeaked out a 1-0 victory in Amherst, Mass., behind a Sarah Panolfi score in the 83rd minute.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs play host to a red-hot Holy Cross team who is off to as good a start as any team in the region. Through two games, the Crusaders have outscored opponents, 8-0, earning wins over Siena on Friday (3-0) and LIU Brooklyn on Monday (5-0). Freshman forward Aly Spencer has four goals and an assist in the first two collegiate matches of her career, while classmate Caitlin Harty has added a pair of markers herself. Last season, the Bulldogs earned a hard-fought victory in Worcester with a goal in the 86th minute, picking up their second-straight 1-0 win over Holy Cross.

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