Bryant host No. 19/20 Albany Sat. at 1 p.m.

BULLDOGS RETURN HOME, WELCOME NO. 19/20 ALBANY TO BRYANT TURF COMPLEX SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The Bryant University men's lacrosse team returns home to face its fourth ranked opponent in the opening six games of the season, welcoming No. 19/20 University at Albany to the Bryant Turf Complex Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs (0-5) enter the contest looking to change the tide and put a stop to their early season scoring woes, but will have to do so against one of the most potent offenses in the nation in order to get the win at home. The Great Danes (2-2) — backed by a dynamic trio of scorers in Lyle (12 goals, 35 points), Ty (12g, 17p) and Miles (5g, 8p) Thompson — are ranked in the NCAA's top five in scoring offense (third), points per game (fourth) and assists per game (third) and are the ninth most accurate team in the country when it comes to shot percentage.

"You get better by playing teams of this caliber," said head coach Mike Pressler, "and Albany is certainly one of the best teams we've played to date. They are as talented a team as we'll see at the offensive end, and they are better everywhere else than they were a year ago."

Last season against the Great Danes on the road, the Bulldogs opened up a 14-7 advantage three minutes into the fourth quarter before Albany showcased not just its offensive prowess but also its resiliency, scoring five unanswered goals in the final nine minutes to cut the score to 14-12 before running out of time. There was a Thompson involved in each of those five tallies — not to mention in 10 of the game's 12 Great Dane goals — as Miles Thompson racked up six of the trio's eight scores while 10 of the team's 21 points were recorded by the family unit.

"You look at Albany and the first thing that jumps out at you are the obviously the Thompsons," said Pressler. "They are three remarkable players — as talented of offensive players as there are in college lacrosse. They have great chemistry, and you can't just focus in on one, or one or both of the others can tear you apart."

This season, though, Albany is also getting added offensive support from its much improved midfield ranks, as Ryan Feuerstein (9 goals, 1 assist) and Matt Garziano (5 goals, 4 assists) join the Thompsons in the team's top six point getters to headline a number of quality additions at the position.

"They have added some great middies into the mix this year, guys who are all quality offensive players," said Pressler. "Albany is so much better in every facet of the game this year — from defense to faceoff to goal — but I think Albany is so much more balanced on offense, in particular."

That balance is just what has been eluding the Bulldogs throughout the 2013 season. Paced by eight goals and six assists from junior Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, N.Y.), Bryant has yet to see its offensive ranks near their true potential, averaging just 7.4 goals and 12.4 points per game so far this year.

But there have been bright spots, which, in addition to Zomerfeld, include the play of sophomore Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.), who boasts five goals and two assists, along with longstick midfielder Mason Poli (Downingtown, Pa.), who has seven points (five goals) in 2013 despite missing Bryant's last contest on the road at Drexel.

"It's been a tough three weeks in a row on the road," said Pressler, "so to be able to get back home over Spring Break and figure out where we are at, and then to have five quality practice days to get ready for this one is something we were looking forward to.

"For us, it's all about shooting the ball and creating better and more scoring opportunities," he continued. "That is something that has plagued us. We have played good enough defense to be successful, we've been strong at the faceoff and in goal — it's the offense that has to pick up the pieces to get it done this Saturday."