Men's soccer head to Florida to open 2012

Bulldogs open 2012 with two games in Sunshine State

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant University men's soccer team will head to The Sunshine State for a pair of games against Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University as it kicks off the 2012 season.

The Bulldogs will open their season Friday evening (7 p.m.) in Miami when they face off against the Panthers of Florida International before heading to Boca Raton, Fla., on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match with the Owls.

The Black and Gold are coming off a 2-13-1 season last year in which they finished 1-9 in the Northeast Conference. However, a mix of seasoned upperclassmen matched with a talented freshmen class are primed to make some noise in 2012.

Bryant will rely on veteran seniors Matthew D'Amelio (Lincoln, R.I.) and Eddie Curry (Massapequa, N.Y.) to anchor the defense while a group of young attackers look to help the Bulldogs exceed NEC preseason expectations.

Friday will also mark the kickoff of the 2012 season for Florida International, as it welcomes Bryant to FIU Soccer Stadium. The Panthers finished 2011 with a 5-8-4 overall record, going 1-5-2 in Conference USA play. First-year head coach Kenny Arena will look to his senior defender and Preseason All-Conference USA nominee Anthony Hobbs to get the Panthers off to a strong start.

The Bulldogs will then head to Boca Raton in a Sunday afternoon matchup with Florida Atlantic. The Owls are coming off a 5-8-2 record from 2011, going 0-5-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Owls open their season Friday evening as well, when they host the University of Central Florida before welcoming the Black and Gold.

Tabbed to finish 11th in the 2012 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs will look to take advantage of the beautiful Florida weather to start this season off on the right foot.

For links to streaming video and live stats of the weekend's games and for all the latest information on Bryant University men's soccer, visit BryantBulldogs.com.