Men set to take on in-state rival PC tonight
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Providence (2-4) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
|
Bryant (3-4) | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University men's lacrosse team looks to get back on track in front of its home crowd tonight when the Bulldogs host intrastate rival Providence College at the Bryant Turf Complex at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast by Cox Sports Television on tape delay Thursday, March 24 and Saturday, 26 at 7 p.m.
Bryant, who started the season 2-0 but has lost four straight in the midst of a rough March schedule, fell at Hobart, 5-4, last time out Sunday afternoon, the team's second-consecutive one-goal loss. While the Bulldogs put in another strong defensive performance against the Statesmen and led 4-3 with 13:40 remaining in the third quarter, the team failed to score over the final 28 minutes, while Hobart tallied twice to earn the victory.
Defensively, Bryant has been impressive all season. In fact, the Bulldogs' defense leads the Northeast Conference and is ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 6.67 goals per game. Junior goalkeeper Jameson Love (Darien, Conn.) has started all six games for Bryant, posting a .596 save percentage (13th in Division I) and a 6.45 goals against average (6th).
The Black and Gold offense – led by senior Gary Crowley (Scituate, Mass.), who tops the team with 12 goals, and sophomore Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.), who leads NEC with nine assists in addition to his five goals – has been a bit more inconsistent, but will hope to return to form in the friendly confines of the Bryant Turf Complex tonight.
The Bulldogs find their regional rival Providence (2-3, 0-1 BIG EAST) in a similar predicament, as the Friars won their first two games of the season, only to lose three straight heading into tonight's matchup. The Friars have averaged less than five goals per game over their last three games.
Last year, the two teams squared off in Providence with the Bulldogs picking up the win in a tight 9-8 contest. That matchup was the first between the two teams since 1983 and the first since both teams became varsity Division I programs.
