Ranked opponents clash Saturday, as #18 Bryant battles #13 Albany on road

ALBANY, N.Y. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team looks to add to its impressive early-season resume Saturday afternoon in its toughest challenge yet, as the Bulldogs face off against the nation's top offense in the University at Albany, backed by a Thompson trio that ranks among the best in college lacrosse.

The No. 18 Bulldogs (4-2) take on their fourth ranked opponent of the season in the No. 13 Great Danes (2-2), having gone 2-1 in the previous matchups. But the Black and Gold have yet to face an offense as potent as that of Albany.

The Great Danes enter the contest atop the NCAA ranks in points, goals and assists per game, averaging 17 goals and nearly 28 points per contest through their opening four outings. That charge is paced by brothers Lyle and Miles Thompson and cousin Ty Thompson, who together account for 60 percent of both the team's total points (66) and goals scored (41).

At a national-best 7.25 points per game, Lyle Thompson leads the Great Danes with 10 goals and 19 assists, while Miles Thompson's 4.75 goals per outing top of national standards while placing him second in points per game, with 6.25 each time out (19g, 6a). Ty Thompson also sits among the nation's leaders, ranking 64th in points and 34th in goals with 12 on the year.

"For the last couple years, Albany has been the most prolific offensive team in college lacrosse, and this year, they might be at their best," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "To cover one Thompson is a challenge, to cover two is really tough, but to have to keep your eyes on all three of them makes things very, very difficult for us defensively. And we know that Albany has some quality midfielders too, so it's a very balanced team at the offensive end."

Surrounding the trio is a cast of strong supporting players, including the likes of John Maloney (9g, 2a), Will Stenberg (3g, 2a) and Ryan Feuerstein (4g). The Great Danes also back their high-octane offense with a defense that boasts sophomore goalie Blaze Riorden, who leads the nation in saves per game (15.25) and ranks 14th in save percentage (.570).

But the second-year netminder has proven to be beatable, as Riorden allows more than 12 goals per matchup.

"I think Albany is a better team defensively, and No. 10 is having a very good year in the goal for them," said Pressler.

While Albany has a pair of big victories on the year – a 14-8 win over Harvard and most recently a 25-10 win over top-10 UMass – the Danes have fallen by just a single goal in each of their two losses, a 14-13 defeat at the hands of Drexel and a 17-16 overtime loss at Syracuse in the season opener.

To hand the Great Danes their third loss of 2014, the defensive-minded Bulldogs will have to not only rely on their strength in the back but turn up the heat on offense, as well.

"It has to be a team effort," said Pressler. "All of us must defend, not just the guys at the defensive end."

Bryant's effort will start at the back with the continued stellar play of sophomore goalie Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.), who entered the week ranked first nationally in save percentage (currently .659) and second in saves per game (13.8). Waldt has posted a 7.19 goals against average entering Saturday's battle and has 19 ground balls in six starts.

In front of him, the Bulldogs' starting close defense of freshman Kyle Mummau (Carlsbad, Calif.), junior Connor Dent (Havertown, Pa.) and senior captain Matt MacGrotty (New Westminster, British Columbia) will be faced with their toughest charge yet handling the Thompson trio. The unit has combined for 38 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers in 2014 and has helped limit opposing offenses to single digits in all six previous outings.

"That is without question our objective," said Pressler of holding Albany to single-digit scoring. "But everybody has to contribute to us being successful on the defensive end, not just the defense. That is the formula."

Junior faceoff specialist Kevin Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) will be key in gaining an edge in the possession game for the Black and Gold and will go up against another Albany trio in Kevin McNally (21-of-56), Connor Russell (20-of-42) and Artie Marrapese (10-of-30). Massa is 74-of-121 (.612) with 44 ground balls on the season.

"We have to win faceoffs – more than our share," said Pressler, "and we have to value the ball at the offensive end. That will help us play hopefully a little less defense than they normally see."

From there, it will be up to an offense that is still trying to find its rhythm in 2014.

"For us to beat a top-15 team on the road, we can't beat ourselves, and we have to pay greater attention to the details in the plan."

The Bulldogs and the Great Danes have faced off twice before, each visiting the other over the last two seasons. Bryant took the opener, 14-12, in Albany in 2012, and the Great Danes tied the series last season with a 17-15 victory in Smithfield, R.I. Saturday's game at John Fallon Field is slated to faceoff at 1:00 p.m.