Bryant takes on No. 7 Providence in season opener Friday night

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's soccer team is back in action Friday, August 28 against fellow Rhode Island team No. 7 Providence College.

Last season, the Bulldogs finished 9-5-3 overall and 5-0-2 in the conference, propelling them into the Northeast Conference Tournament where they were defeated by third-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn.

Bryant is versed in postseason play, having qualified the previous two seasons for the NEC Tournament. Bryant was forced to settle for second in the 2013 NEC Championship when the Bulldogs fell, 3-2, in overtime.

"The goal this year, of course, is to win it all," senior Chris Knaub (Yarmouth, Maine) said. "Anything less than winning the NEC Championship is just not good enough for us."

The Black and Gold have strength in their veteran squad, welcoming only six new players to the 27-man roster after graduating six last season.

"Our strength definitely would be our experience," midfielder Pedro-Lucas Ferreira (East Boston, Mass.) said. "We didn't lose that many guys last year, and we're returning a lot of juniors, seniors and sophomores. They've all been here through the program's best and worst."

The Bulldogs return numerous key players for their 2015 campaign, including three-year starting goalkeeper Knaub. The senior earned Second Team All-NEC honors and ranked first in save percentage (.810) in the conference.

Back for the Bryant defense is classmate Jake Lamar (New Haven, Conn.), juniors Ferreira and Chris McCormick (Westfield, Mass.) and sophomore John Conry (Bolton, Mass.). Lamar proved to be an offensive threat from the backline, serving in six shots and putting one home between the pipes. In similar fashion, Ferreira finished with 10 shots, including three on the main frame.

Returning in the attacking midfield for the Bulldogs is senior Marco Addonizio (Lynnfield, Mass.), who netted three goals, two of which were game winners, off 23 shots last season. Joining him is junior Curtis Orth (Ancaster, Ont.), who also scored a game-winning goal, leading him to NEC Player of the Week honors.

Senior Brett Larocque (Ottawa, Ont.) returns as the Bulldogs' main attacking threat, finishing with 16 points off six goals and four assists in 2014, leading him to become the first player in program history to receive First Team All-NEC honors. Larocque has recorded 47 career points off 20 goals and seven assists, making him the team's leading scorer for three-straight seasons.

This season, the Bulldogs are looking to fine tune their techniques, capitalizing on their experience and team chemistry in order to win games.

"We've been able to possess the ball more, attack, and create more opportunities," Knaub said.

The team's tactics will be put to the test when it faces off against Providence College in the official start of the 2015 season on Friday, August 28 in Providence at 7 p.m. PC returns as the defending 2014 BIG EAST Champions. The Friars finished last season's run with a 3-2 loss to UCLA (2OT) in the NCAA Semifinals, earning them a No. 3 final ranking in the 2014 NSCAA Poll.

"It's going to be a great challenge for everybody," said head coach Seamus Purcell about the in-state matchup. "Get everybody in and get a look at people to really see where we are and what we need to work on going forward."

This contest will mark only the third time the two teams have met in the last decade. Bryant has fallen to Providence in all three matches, including the heartbreaking 1-0 loss in double overtime in 2012.

"Our boys are going to be ready," Purcell said. "They're going to go out there and compete. They're taking this as a challenge. We're the underdogs. We've got nothing to lose, but we're going to go out and do what we did last year. We'll battle them hard and make sure they remember us by the end of the season."