Bulldogs host California Friday, head to Dartmouth Sunday

Game Notes

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant University field hockey team is back in action this weekend, playing two games against cross-country opponents. The Bulldogs will host California on Friday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. at Goldberger Family Field in Providence. On Sunday, Sept. 10, the team will head to Hanover, New Hampshire, to take on Dartmouth in a 3 p.m. meeting.

The Particulars 

Opponent: University of California

Date: Sept. 8, 2017

Game Time: 4 p.m. EDT

Live Stats: Presto

Series History

• Friday's meeting will be the third all-time between Bryant and California. Cal holds a 2-0 all-time lead over the Bulldogs.
• The teams last squared off in 2015, when Bryant traveled to Stanford to meet with the Golden Bears.

A bit about the Golden Bears

• California comes into Friday's matchup 1-3 overall. They are coming off of a weekend that had them split games between Massachusetts and Iowa. Cal topped the Minutewomen, 2-1, but fell to the Hawkeyes, 3-0.
• Megan Rodgers leads the Golden Bears with five points, scoring two goals with an assist. Rodgers tallied three points against Michigan State, scoring a goal and adding an assist against the Spartans.
• Danielle Mentink has started all four games in goal for Cal. The sophomore has a 2.29 goals-allowed-average, allowing just eight goals in four appearances.
• The Golden Bears are led by head coach Shellie Onstead, who is in her 21st season at Cal. In her time at Cal, Onstead has led the Golden Bears to a 226-146 record heading into the 2017 season.

The Particulars 

Opponent: Dartmouth College

Date: Sept. 10, 2017

Game Time: 3 p.m. EDT

Live Stream: Ivy League Network (Subscription needed)

Live Stats: Dartmouth Sports

Series History

• Sunday's game will be the 10th meeting between the two schools, having met every season since Bryant joined Division I in 2008. Dartmouth holds an 8-1 lead over the Black and Gold.
• The last meeting between the Big Green and the Bulldogs was last season, when Dartmouth won, 2-1, in overtime.

A bit about the Big Green

• Dartmouth heads into the weekend with an 0-2 record but will meet MAAC-member Rider on Friday. The Big Green fell to defending NCAA champion Delaware, 9-1, to open the season, and dropped their second game to Longwood, 5-1.
• Evie Bird and Gemma Bautista each have two points to lead the Big Green, scoring a goal apiece. Carmen Braceras and Katie Spanos each assisted on the Dartmouth goals and head into the weekend with one point each.
• Dartmouth is led by head coach Amy Fowler, who in the beginning of her 18th season in the position. Fowler has led the Big Green to a 138-156 record entering the season.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

• Junior Victoria Newbill (Wilton, Maine) heads into weekend play with a team-high five points. Newbill is coming off of a five-point week, scoring goals versus 24th-ranked Maine and again at Brown. Newbill also assisted on a Floor van Dommelen (Berg en Dal, Netherlands) goal, the first assist of her career. For her play, Newbill was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Week.
• Bulldog freshman Alex Neumann (Auckland, New Zealand) also comes into the weekend fresh off of a two-score week. Neumann scored a pair of goals in a Friday win at Brown, the latter goal proving Bryant win. The two-goal game propelled the freshman to MAAC Rookie of the Week award.
• Bryant head coach Joppe de Vries earned his first career head coaching victory during a Sept. 1 victory at Brown. de Vries previously assisted at Maryland the past four seasons.
• Bryant's captains in 2017 are seniors Grace Farrell (Milford, Pennsylvania), Keighan Richardson (North Attleboro, Massachusetts), and Bethany Winkin (Winslow, Maine).