Saucier and squad begin 2016 season on the road, take on Raiders and Danes in opening weekend

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In the hunt for its first postseason appearance since 2013, the Bryant University field hockey team is looking to utilize their strong leadership and productive offseason to help dictate the success of 2016, beginning Friday, September 26, at Colgate.

Led by eighth-year head coach Shaunessy Saucier and third-year assistant Carla Johl, the Bulldogs will have the challenging task of playing only one true home game this season. Bryant will play four games at Brown University's Goldberg Family Field.

"We are doing our best to prepare the team to win which means playing on AstroTurf," said Saucier. "We have been road warriors this preseason [traveling to Brown daily for practice] and the girls have all had really good attitudes and energy heading into practice. We are really hoping to get a lot of fans out for our one true home game against LIU Brooklyn under the lights which always creates a great atmosphere at Bryant".

After losing just three seniors last season, Bryant returns a veteran team that should be up to the task. Headlining the group will be the Bulldogs' top-scoring threat in senior Victoria Danby (Lancaster, Mass.), who led them with 26 points off 12 goals and two assists. The forward scored in seven of the first eight games last year, ranking her top-10 nationally in goals per game through the first month of the 2015 season. Danby was the lone Bulldog to be named to the Preseason All-MAAC team, as the squad was picked to finish sixth in the coaches' poll.

This year's senior captains, midfielder Emiko Barker (Hatfield, Mass.), forward Elena Borovskis (Pequannock, N.J.) and defender Samantha Yoder (Mount Joy, Pa.), add both game experience and strong leadership in each line for the Bulldogs. Also back for their senior season is midfielder Erin Karcher (Kennet Square, Pa.), who, along with Danby, was named Second Team All-MAAC last season, leading the Bulldogs with five assists.

"We have a very experienced defensive unit back led by senior Sammy Yoder, who directs our backfield," said Johl. "We are also fortunate to have Marissa Elizardo (North Wales, Pa.), the commander and chief, back in goal. She is only a sophomore but will bring a lot of experience to this team after a huge season last year where she played in almost every game".

Elizardo started all 17 games she appeared in, logging 91 saves en route to a .645 save percentage in her rookie campaign. Classmates Victoria Newbill (Wilton, Maine) and Emily Perryman (Lebanon, N.H.) will contribute as key assets in the Bryant attack and midfield.

New in Black and Gold, freshmen Miranda Grundy (Smithfield, R.I.), Clare Luttrell (Freehold, N.J.), Floor van Dommelen (Berg en Dal, Gelderland, Netherlands) and Freya Ward (Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England) will all look to add depth to the experienced squad.

The Bulldogs open the 2016 season at Colgate on Friday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m., before heading to Albany on Sunday, August 28, for a 1 p.m. start.

Scouting the Raiders

The Raiders are coming off a winless season, going 0-15 in 2015 under 28-year head coach Cathy Foto. Colgate is backed again this season by Preseason All-Patriot League selection, junior goalkeeper Maria Krull, who finished last season with 161 saves and a .752 save percentage in her 14 starts. Friday's host also returns its top-point scorer junior midfielder Molly Klare, who finished the 2015 season with seven points off three goals and a single assist.

"Colgate was young last season so, like us, they return with a lot of experience," said Saucier. "They are a team that you can't overlook and will always play you hard".

Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Raiders, 4-1, in Providence, moving the Division I mark to 6-2 in Bryant's favor.

Scouting the Danes

Albany, the defending America East Champions, enters Sunday's matchup after finishing 19-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference in 2015. No. 1 Albany defeated No. 2 Maine in the last year's conference finals, claiming the Danes' third league title in the last four years. After solidifying a bid to the NCAA Tournament, No. 8 Albany faced No. 9 Boston College in the first round, losing 2-1, in Storrs, Conn.

Grounded by last year's results, the Danes were issued their second-straight top-10 ranking in the 2016 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Preseason Poll. Albany also returns a number of skilled players, headed by the 2014 NFHCA National Player of the Year and active NCAA leader in career points (194) and goals (80), senior midfielder Paula Heuser.

"Albany comes in ranking ninth and returns the 2014 Player of the Year, along with excellent goalkeeping, so it's going to be a matter of us playing our best game and utilizing our speed against a team that is super organized," said Saucier.

The Danes held Bryant scoreless last season, taking a 4-0 Division I edge over the Bulldogs.

"This weekend will be a really good test to see how quickly we can jell. We have had two scrimmages so far to work out some kinks and at this point in the season we are looking to play as best as we can together. We came into preseason really fit and we have a lot of explosive speed that we are hoping to utilize this weekend to create a lot of attacking opportunities".

 Fans can follow along with live stats and video coverage of both games on bryantbulldogs.com.