Bulldogs open MAAC play with Rider Friday, travel to Drexel Sunday

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University field hockey will play its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener on Friday when they host Rider for a 4 p.m. matchup at Goldberger Family Field in Providence. After the game against the Broncs, the Bulldogs head south to Philadelphia to play Drexel in a non-conference matchup with the Dragons on Sunday. That game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

The Particulars 

Opponent: Rider University

Date: Sept. 29, 2017

Location: Goldberger Family Field, Providence

Game Time: 4 p.m. EDT

Live Stats: Presto

Series History

• Friday is the 10th all-time game between the two schools, having met every year since Bryant joined Division I in 2008.
• Rider boasts an 8-1 record over the Bulldogs. The Bryant victory game in 2013, when the Bulldogs topped the Broncs, 2-1.

A bit about the Broncs

• Rider comes to Providence with a 4-4 record on the season, and are 2-4 away from Lawrenceville. Friday's game is also the conference-opener for Rider.
• Allison Baligian leads the Broncs in scoring, posting four goals and two assists to total 10 points on the season.
• Shannon Hughes leads Rider in assists, helping on five Broncs goals in 2017. She also scored a goal in a 4-0 victory over Towson, giving her seven points this season.
• In goal, the Broncs are anchored by Lena Vandam. Vandam has started all eight games for the Broncs in 2017 and has a 1.65 goals-against average along with a .794 save percentage. The goalkeeper has also posted two shutouts in her freshman campaign.
• The head coach of Rider is Lori Hussong, who is in her 18th season at the helm of the Broncs program. Hussong entered 2017 with a 230-109 record and is a five-time conference coach of the year (four with the NEC, one with the MAAC).

The Particulars 

Opponent: Drexel University

Date: Oct. 1, 2017

Location: Buckley Field, Philadelphia

Game Time: Noon EDT

Live Stream: Drexel Sports Network

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Series History

• This is the first meeting between the two schools in program history.

A bit about the Dragons

• Drexel enters the weekend with a 4-6 record and is 3-1 at newly-built Buckley Field in 2017. The Dragons will host Delaware in a CAA-contest on Sept. 29, two days before they host Bryant.
• Tess Horan is the scoring leader for the Dragons in 2017. In eight games, Horan has four goals and an assist, totaling nine points.
• Tess Bernheimer and Megan Wiest are both second on the team in scoring, each coming into weekend play with three goals and two assists.
• Erin Gilchrist has played every minute for Drexel in goal, posting a 2.30 goals-against average with a .739 save percentage.
• Drexel is led by Denise Zelenak, who is in the middle of her 23rd season with the Dragons. Since taking over the program, Zelenak has posted a 230-207 record leading into the 2017 season.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

• Freshman Alex Neumann (Auckland, New Zealand) and Floor van Dommelen (Berg en Dal, Netherlands) currently share the team lead in scoring. The two internationally-born players have each posted three goals and assist, totaling seven points for the 2017 campaign.
• Senior Keighan Richardson (North Attleboro, Massachusetts) leads Bryant with three assists, including a two-assist outing at Dartmouth. Richardson acts as the primary inserter during penalty corners for the Bulldogs.
• Junior Victoria Newbill (Wilton, Maine) continues to build on her impressive season. Newbill has set a career high in points just 11 games into the season, scoring two goals and adding two assists to total six points.
• Bryant has had five of its goals scored by freshmen in 2017. Neumann leads the team with three, while Ally Burdick (Cambridge, New York), Kylie Nelson (Searsmont, Maine) and Madison Demand (Waretown, New Jersey) have each added a goal each for the season.
• Junior Emily Perryman (Lebanon, New Hampshire) scored the game-winning goal during the team's win over Colgate on Sept. 24. It was the fifth game-winning goal of Perryman's career, having two each in her freshman and sophomore seasons.
• Bryant's captains in 2017 are seniors Grace Farrell (Milford, Pennsylvania), Keighan Richardson (North Attleboro, Massachusetts), and Bethany Winkin (Winslow, Maine).