Photo by: DSPics.com
Photo by: DSPics.com

Bulldogs open conference play at Sacred Heart

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Following a clean sheet victory over Vermont on Sunday, the Bryant University women's soccer team looks to ride that defensive momentum into their Northeast Conference opener on Friday when they head to Sacred Heart.

The Particulars

Opponent: Sacred Heart

Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Park Ave. Field | Fairfield, Conn.

Live Stats: Presto Sports

The Series

The Bulldogs have six wins, Pioneers with five in 15 all-time meetings in a series that dates back to 1991. Bryant won the first meeting of the series 10-1 and are unbeaten in the last three, winning two of them. Senior Cayla D'Amico (Grafton, Mass.) had three points in last season's 2-1 win in Smithfield, assisting on sophomore Katie Cronin's (Feeding Hills, Mass.) opening goal, then scoring her own in the 69th minute.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

  • The Black and Gold is coming off their second clean sheet in four games, defeating Vermont 1-0 in the non-conference finale on Sunday. Sophomore Amanda Spitaleri (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) put home a rebound off D'Amico's shot to put Bryant ahead in the 12th minute.
  • Bryant's defense has held teams off the scoreboard in regulation in three of the last four matches.
  • The Bulldogs are in the midst of a six-game road swing, their longest stretch of games away from Smithfield since the team's first Division I season in 2008.
  • Freshman Kellie Errasti (Duxbury, Mass.) was named one of the Top 20 freshman in the New England region by the New England Soccer Journal on Tuesday.
  • D'Amico enters the weekend with eight points, good for fourth in the NEC standings. Freshman Lexi Kraemer (Forest Hill, Md.) has also chipped in a pair of goals.
  • In net, sophomore Meghan Dalton (West Hartford, Conn.) has played all 723 minutes in net, recording a 1.49 goals-against average and .739 save percentage on the season.

A bit about the Pioneers

  • Sacred Heart enters the matchup at 1-8 on the season, with their only victory being over Saint Peter's in Jersey City, N.J.
  • The teams have had two mutual opponents, with the Pios dropping matchups with UMass Lowell and Vermont. Bryant split games with those two teams.
  • Seven different players have recorded a goal this season for Sacred Heart, led by Lindsay Corallo who has two goals on her 2018 resume. Melanie DaSilva has three points to her name, with a goal and assist on the year.
  • In net, Nicole Sambuco has played 720 minutes in seven starts on the year. She has tallied a 2.00 goals-against average and a .765 save percentage.

 

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