Bulldogs host Holy Cross Tuesday at 7p

BULLDOGS HOST CRUSADERS, GO FOR THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN TUESDAY NIGHT (7 P.M.)

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The Bryant University men's lacrosse team looks for its first winning streak of the season Tuesday night, hosting regional foe Holy Cross at the Bryant Turf Complex for a 7 p.m. matchup.

Fresh off a 15-11 win over Robert Morris Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs (3-8) are averaging 12.75 goals per game over their last four contests, scoring nearly half their season goal total since March 23. The Crusaders (6-5) are looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since March 2 and 5 when they come to Smithfield, having topped league opponent Lafayette, 11-10, on the road in their last matchup.

"We would certainly like to keep the momentum we've enjoyed going, but this is by far the best Holy Cross team we've seen in our short Division I tenure," said head coach Mike Pressler. "They have two wins in the Patriot League, and like us, they are very much in their league picture right now, so we expect an absolute battle from the Crusaders here Tuesday night."

Reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Week Colin Dunster (Cos Cob, Conn.) leads the Bulldog offense with 19 goals on the season, including nine in the last four games, and is a single point behind linemate Alex Zomerfeld (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) and redshirt-rookie attack Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.) for the team lead in points. Both have 27 to pace the Black and Gold off 18 goals (9 assists) and 17 scores (10 assists), respectively.

Between the pipes, frosh Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.) is coming off a career performance against the Colonials, where he made 18 stops en route to his second-career win and NEC Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors.

But all of the Bulldogs' success has its roots at the faceoff X in sophomore Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.), who leads the nation in both faceoff winning percentage (.700) and ground balls per game (12.45) this season. Massa has been producing even better numbers than that average as of late, as well, winning 75.7 percent of the 103 faceoffs he's taken in the last four games while gobbling up 15 grounders per outing.

"He is the best in the country at his position, and the stats back that up," said Pressler. "He allows us to continue our offense when we score by getting the ball back right away, and if they score, he allows us to stop their momentum by getting us the ball and often times generating offense right off the faceoff. Kevin has picked up right where he left off last year and has even gotten better."

Holy Cross is led on the year by James Kennedy's 29 points on the strength of 15 goals and 14 helpers, while Clay Haarmann is the Crusaders' leading scorer with 21 goals in 2013 (26 points). John Hannan adds 19 for Tuesday's visitors (21 points) while Terry McKenna (12g, 17p) and Myles Gillespie (10g, 15p) round out the team's double-figure goal scorers.

In goal, Holy Cross has turned to Michael Ortlieb as of late, and the freshman has produced a 3-3 record on the season with a .534 save percentage and 10.33 goals against average in seven appearances and six starts. In front of him, senior Matt Ward leads the side with 22 caused turnovers and adds a team-best 32 ground balls, while Kyle Kadlick and Reed Kennedy also chip in 10 caused turnovers apiece.

Kadlick has also picked up 31 ground balls in sharing the majority of the Crusaders' faceoff duties with Tyler Purdue, who is 31-of-84 (.369) on the season. Kadlick is 15-of-26 (.577) at the X.

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with the Crusaders, 3-1, and have earned the win in the last two meetings, 13-8 in 2011 and 17-3 last season. These teams have already faced off against four common opponents so far in 2013 and share six alike competitors on their full season schedules. Both teams fell to Harvard and Bucknell on the road and took losses at the hands of Colgate early in the season. Holy Cross come out on top at Vermont, however — a game the Bulldogs lost in overtime, 6-5. Holy Cross has also beaten future Bryant opponent and fellow NEC member Sacred Heart, 11-9.

Tuesday's game kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Turf Complex. Can't make it to the game? Watch all the action LIVE and free of charge at NECfrontrow.com.