Bryant hosts Bucknell to open 2020 season
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team opens its 21st NCAA season and the 40th year of lacrosse in Smithfield when the Bulldogs host Bucknell Sunday at Beirne Stadium.
The Bulldogs take to the Beirne Stadium turf for their first Sunday game in Smithfield since 2015.
The Particulars
Opponent: Bucknell
Location: Beirne Stadium (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Sunday, Feb. 9 – 12 p.m.
Tickets: Sunday | Season Tickets
Watch: NEC Front Row (Matt Laboissonniere, Tristan Hobbes)
Live Stats: Presto Sports
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #GoBryant | #NECMLax
SCOUTING THE BISON
Bucknell opened the 2020 season last weekend with a 16-9 neutral-site victory over Furman in Durham, North Carolina. Will Yorke scored five times for the Bison, while Alston Tarry added two goals and four assists.
The Bison went 6-9 a year ago, winning their final four regular-season games before falling to Boston University in the Patriot League quarterfinals.
THE SERIES
Bryant and Bucknell are meeting in February for the eighth consecutive season, but only two of the previous seven have been in Smithfield. Four contests have been played in Lewisburg and one in Taunton, Massachusetts, prior to the construction of the Conaty Indoor Athletic Center.
Bucknell captured a 9-6 victory in Bryant's opener a year ago. Marc O'Rourke (Hingham, Mass.) scored three goals for Bryant in the first contest of his sophomore campaign, while Mason Balch (Westfield, Mass.) added two goals and Luke Caracciolo (Centreville, Va.) made 16 saves in their collegiate debuts.
MAKING HIS MARC
O'Rourke enters his third year in Black & Gold with 65 goals and 36 assists, making him the fastest to 100 points in Bryant's Division I era (29 games). O'Rourke's 65 goals through two seasons are the second most in program history.
ATTACK IS BACK
The Bulldogs return 93.3% of their total assists from 2019, which ranks third in the nation. Bryant is one of 10 teams to bring back 85% of its goals and 85% of its assists from last year.
AMERICA'S TEAM
The 2020 Bryant roster features student-athletes from 18 states, including six outside the Eastern Time Zone. The 18 states represented rank sixth in the nation.
SOPHOMORE STONE WALL
Caracciolo led all first-year goalies nationally in save percentage (.569) and goals-against average (9.66) in 2019. Caracciolo's 2019 numbers rank second in save percentage and fifth in GAA among all returning goalies.
Caracciolo has made 13 or more saves in seven of his first 10 collegiate starts.
WEINGARTEN STATE
Senior Trevor Weingarten (Allendale, N.J.) enters his final campaign in Smithfield after a strong finish to his junior year. Weingarten notched six goals and five assists in the games against Robert Morris and Brown to close out the 2019 season, including a seven-point performance against the Colonials. Weingarten ranked second on the team in 2019 in goals (20), assists (14) and points (34).
FOR STARTERS, SOME NOTES
» Coach Pressler entered 26 different players into the starting lineup in 2019. The Bulldogs return 122 of those 140 starts in 2020.
» Redshirt-senior Jack Horan (San Rafael, Calif.) and O'Rourke were the only Bulldogs to start in all 14 games a year ago. Balch (13) and Caracciolo (10) were the only others to start in 10 or more games.
WHO IN THE DEBUT?
Bryant has received three multi-goal performances from freshmen in the last two season openers. Balch scored twice in last year's opener at Bucknell, while O'Rourke tallied three goals and Austin Kent (Franklin, Mass.) added two in the win over Manhattan to begin 2018.
UP NEXT: PROVIDENCE
Bryant plays the first of two Ocean State Cup games when the Bulldogs face Providence next Saturday in the state capital. Opening face-off is slated for 1 p.m.
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