Field hockey battles Colgate on Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Returning home after a pair of road trips in the midst of Homecoming Weekend, the Bryant University field hockey will welcome Colgate University on Saturday, Sept. 24, for a non-conference battle at the Bryant Track and Turf Complex.  Game time is set for 11 a.m.

The Bulldogs (3-4) will be looking to match a previous season-high winning streak of two games against the Raiders (3-5), and are fresh off a 3-2 victory against in-state rival Brown University on Sept. 20.  Colgate enters Saturday having posted an overtime victory over Northeast Conference foe Saint Francis (PA) on Sept. 17, but has not seen action for a week.

Since Bryant began playing a Division-I schedule in 2008, Bryant and Colgate have squared off three times, with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 series lead.  Most recently, Bryant came away with a 2-1 win in Hamilton, N.Y. on Sept. 25, 2010.  Current junior Elise Driscoll (Harwich, Mass.) netted the go-ahead goal at 29:24, and current senior Jennifer Gullotti (Waltham, Mass.) posted nine saves in an outstanding defensive effort.

During Bryant's last outing on Sept. 20, Bryant and Brown battled for the fourth time in series history, with the Bears having won the previous three contests.  Thanks to a late strike by Kayleigh Ballantyne (Gorham, Maine), the Bulldogs came away with an exciting, 3-2 victory at Warner Roof.  The Bears opened the scoring at 15:01, but Bryant tacked on the next two, as rookie forward Rosie Bird (Hamilton, New Zealand) scored an unassisted marker 30 seconds after Brown got on the board.  Sophomore Olivia Jankins (West Brookfield, Mass.) also scored in that game, ripping home a shot off a penalty corner seven minutes after Bird's goal. 

Colgate escaped Loretto, Pa. with an overtime victory thanks to sophomore Halle Biggar, who found the back of the cage 5:45 into the extra frame to give the Raiders the win, erasing a 2-1 second-half deficit to overcome the Red Flash.  Junior Lauren Dittman leads all players with 10 points (4g, 2a), and sophomore Olivia Nabhan ranks second (3g, 2a, 8p).  Rookie Amanda DiDomizio has handled the majority of the goalkeeping duties, starting all eight games and logging 577:50 minutes to go with a 3.12 goals-against average and a .773 save percentage.

After tomorrow's contest, Bryant will head to Cambridge, Mass., for a quick turnaround game against its third Ivy League opponent in four games when the Bulldogs take on Harvard University.  Game time is set for 2 p.m.  The Black and Gold return home next Saturday, Oct. 1, for a date with Atlantic-10 foe La Salle at 11 a.m.

For continuing coverage of Bryant field hockey, check back at www.bryantbulldogs.com, and follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.