Lax hosts first official NEC game tonight

The Bulldogs welcome Quinnipiac to the Bryant Turf Complex Friday at 7 p.m. for the first-ever NEC-sponsored contest

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team will play its first official Northeast Conference contest Friday night at the Bryant Turf Complex when the Bulldogs host rival Quinnipiac at 7 p.m.

The game is Bryant's first since the NEC officially began sponsoring the sport of men's lacrosse prior to the 2011 season, though the Bulldogs and Bobcats have faced off once before, a game the Black and Gold took on the road, 7-6, last season.

The Bulldogs (3-5) will look to open the month of April on a positive note after a rough March slate saw the team go 1-5 while taking on a pair of nationally ranked opponents. Among the preseason favorites to win the conference, Bryant will be expecting nothing less than a victory against Quinnipiac (2-4) when the two sides meet Friday night.

Quinnipiac is led by nine-goal scorer Kevin Kelly, who also leads the team in assists (7) and points (16). Dylan Webster has chipped in seven tallies in 2011 and has 10 points on the year, while Christian Haggerty is second on the squad with 13 points off six goals and seven helpers.

The Bobcats use a pair of primary faceoff men in Bobby Schnibbe (21-of-49) and Webster (13-of-25) and the former leads the team in both ground balls (32) and caused turnovers (11). Kevin Benzing has filled all the minutes between the pipes and sports a 7.75 goals against average with a .580 save percentage in six games on the 2011 campaign.

Bryant starts in essence a brand new season with the start of conference play, as the league will sponsor its first-ever conference tournament as teams – including the Bulldogs – compete for at-large bids into the NCAA tournament.

Bryant's last outing came Saturday afternoon on Long Island, where the Black and Gold fell to No. 12/10 Stony Brook in a disappointing 13-6 loss. The Bulldogs got off to a 4-1 lead early in the second quarter and held a 4-3 advantage going into halftime, but couldn't hold on in the final two frames, allowing 10 goals while struggling to find the back of the net offensively.

Against the Bobcats, the Bulldogs will count on their defense to return to the form that has them ranked near the top of the country in several categories, including scoring defense, where Bryant is ranked 10th with just 7.38 goals allowed per game, and man-down defense, where the Black and Gold hold the No. 2 spot in the nation, allowing just three EMO tallies in 24 opponent opportunities this season (.875). Leading the defensive corps is junior goalie Jameson Love (Darien, Conn.), who tops the NEC with a 7.24 goals against average.

Offensively, 15 different Bulldogs have found the back of the net this season, with senior Gary Crowley (Scituate, Mass.) leading the charge with 16 goals. Sophomore Peter McMahon (Wilton, Conn.) has been the key setup man for the Bulldogs with 14 assists along with five goals. McMahon ranks 13th in the nation with 1.75 assists per game and currently sports a 22-game points scored streak.

McMahon led Bryant against Quinnipiac in 2010, recording a hat trick in the Bulldogs' one-goal road victory over the Bobcats.

Bryant currently holds a 2-1 record at home this season and will play its next two matches inside the friendly confines of the Bryant Turf Complex. After facing Quinnipiac at 7 p.m. on Friday, Bryant remains in Smithfield to face in-state rival Brown on Tuesday, April 5 (7 p.m.).