Bryant travels to No. 7/6 Yale for Sunday faceoff (12 p.m.)

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – For the second-straight game, the Bryant University men's lacrosse team will be taking on a ranked opponent, traveling to New Haven, Conn., for a date with No. 7/6 Yale Sunday at 12 p.m.

**The Bryant-Yale game, originally scheduled for Saturday, was moved to Sunday due to inclement weather.**

Sunday's game, which will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Ivy League Digital Network, marks the second time this week that the Bulldogs (2-3) have competed on the road against an opponent inside the national top-20, after falling to No. 19 Boston University, 12-9, Tuesday night.

"Having these two games – one against a top-20 team in BU and one against a top-10 team in Yale – back-to-back and both on the road makes this a very daunting challenge as we begin the month of March," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler.

Yale (1-1) has earned an impressive start to its 2017 season, opening the year with a road win over Villanova, 16-11, before falling just short against a top-ranked Maryland team, 12-11. Saturday marks the team's home opener.

Yale enters Sunday play ranked 14th in the nation in scoring offense at 13.50 goals per game and ranks second in shot percentage (.403) and first in clearing percentage, having failed just a single clear in 30 attempts (.967). Jackson Morrill paces the side in goals (7) and points (8) two games into the year, while Eric Scott has added six tallies (7 points). Nine different players have found a spot on the scoreboard already in 2017.

"In my opinion, Yale is the most balanced, best overall team that we will see in our schedule," said Pressler. "They are extremely well-coached, and they can beat you in a lot of different ways. They have a lot of new faces, but they are playing the same style of lacrosse, and that is a credit to their coach Andy Shay and his staff."

The sides should be well matched at the X, with faceoff specialist Conor Mackie going 27-of-56 (.482) with 11 ground balls this season. His Bryant counterpart, Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.) is 49-for-108 (.454) with 24 ground balls.

In the crease, Yale will continue to look to Phil Huffard, who has posted an 11.50 goals against average with 25 saves this year. The junior boasts a .521 save percentage on the 1-1 season.

"Against a quality opponent, you just can't beat yourself, and I think that's what we did Tuesday night against BU," said Pressler. "We have to play smart lacrosse, keep this game within striking distance in the fourth quarter and then make the plays down the stretch to win the game."

BATTLE OF THE BULLDOGS
This is the seventh time in the last eight seasons these two Bulldog sides have faced off, with Yale holding a commanding 5-1 lead in an all-time series that dates back to 2010. Yale has been ranked in every single matchup between the programs, including a No. 6 ranking in last year's contest in Smithfield (a 14-4 Yale win). Bryant's only victory over Sunday's opponent did come on the road, however, in a 9-7 win over then-No. 9 Yale on April 24, 2010.

MIGHTY MISCUES
After a one-game reprieve, the Bulldogs were once again plagued by turnovers in their last outing. Bryant has limited it's turnovers to single digits just once in five games this season and is averaging 13.8 giveaways each time out. The bright side? Bryant has forced opponents to make a combined 80 turnovers (16 per game) and has 11 more caused turnovers that its competition on the year (37-26). Redshirt-junior defenseman Chas South (Lincroft, N.J.) leads the team with seven caused turnovers and ranks 57th nationally in the category with 1.40 per game.

BRYANT AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Since 2014, the Bulldogs are 4-9 against nationally ranked foes, including a 4-2 mark in 2014 that saw the Black and Gold go all the way to the NCAA Quarterfinals. Bryant was 2-1 last season, tying its highest-ranked win in program history with an 11-10 overtime victory against intrastate rival and then-No. 2/3 Brown. The Bulldogs topped a Syracuse team ranked second in the nation in the first round of the 2014 NCAA tournament, 10-9, at the Carrier Dome.