Bulldogs drop physical matchup with rival Friars, 1-0, Sunday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's soccer team came out inspired against its intrastate rivals and played them evenly, but a mishap defensively led to a goal in the 32nd minute and it proved to be enough, as Providence College escaped Smithfield with a 1-0 victory on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides struggled early to find genuine opportunities, thought the first corner came at the 9th minute. Senior Matt Guerriero (Pickering, Ont.) lined up for the set piece, but it was directed out of the danger zone.

Curtis Orth (Ancaster, Ont.) aimed the first shot on target with his right foot from just outside the box following a Providence foul in the 15th, but it was saved by sophomore Colin Miller, who made his first start of the year. Senior Julian Gressel paced the Friars all afternoon, as he rifled off the first three shots in the opening 19 minutes.

The Friars began to amplify their aggression midway through the first frame, as it took them a while to find a rhythm offensively playing without Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year selection Mac Steeves.

Providence got junior keeper Nick Stewart (South Windsor, Conn.) involved for the first time in the 27th minute. Alex Vigliotti quickly shot from inside the box, but Stewart was there to direct the ball out bounds for the Friar's first corner. Gressel struck the set and nearly missed the head of a teammate, as Bryant cleared it.

But Gressel and the Friars kept the pressure on over the next five minutes. He received a through ball on the close right wing following a change of possession, sent a touch pass with the right heel through two defenders to a wide open Danny Griffin a few yards from the net for an easy chip in over the body of a sliding Stewart.  

Alexander Wrona (Burlington, Conn.) sent one of the five first-half corners for the hosts into the box less than two minutes later, where defender Charlie Booth (Concord, Mass.) contorted his body and bicycled a shot that ended up in the hands of Miller.

The Bulldogs kept pushing in search of an equalizer to close out the stanza, with shots from sophomore Derek Blanchette (Hope, R.I.) and Thomas Binder (Vienna, Austria) being directed at Miller. Binder's chance looked to be the answer while Miller was on the ground, but the Friar backline held firm and kicked the shot away to preserve the lead heading into the half.

After five first-half corners to just one in favor of the Bulldogs, the pace of play in the second frame was controlled by the visitors. An offside call in the 59th minute kept it a one-goal deficit, as a Providence corner was turned into a quick shot that Stewart denied, and the rebound was steered in before the side judge raised his flag.

Stewart kept making save after save in the second frame to keep his team in it, with one denial coming in the 83rd minute on a Gressel breakaway down the right wing. The forward tried to chip it over Stewart from inside the box, but the Bryant keeper just got a fist onto the ball to turn it away.

The Bulldogs were only able to generate one shot on frame in the second half and work a pair of corners, including one with 45 seconds to spare. But they could not find a goal before time ran out.

Binder had two shots on goal in the loss and his first start of the season. Blanchette attempted two shots and both Booth and Orth fired one shot on goal. Stewart made seven saves in net, the second-straight game with at least seven stops.

Gressel led all performers with six shots, two on target, to go along with his assist. Griffin's first-career goal was on one of his two shots, and Brendan Constantine was also active with three shots on goal. Miller made five saves in the win, four of which were in the first half.

Bryant will need to rebound quickly, as it gets ready for a trip to Colorado and matchups with Air Force Academy on Friday, and No. 13 Denver on Sunday, September 11.