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Bryant plays for first NEC title Sunday in Brooklyn
Posted: Nov 10, 2018

Bryant plays for first NEC title Sunday in Brooklyn

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's soccer team plays for its first Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday afternoon when it plays top-seeded LIU Brooklyn at LIU Field.

The Bulldogs qualified for the final after a come-from-behind win on Friday afternoon, defeating the No. 2 seed, Saint Francis U.

Sunday's Particulars

Opponent: LIU Brooklyn

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: LIU Field | Brooklyn, N.Y.

Live Stream: NEC Front Row

Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

The Series

The Blackbirds have won six of the 11 meetings between the two teams, including a 1-0 win over Bryant on the Bulldogs' Senior Day on October 28. LIU Brooklyn has won five of the six meetings at LIU Field.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

  • Bryant is playing in its second conference final in the last six seasons. Its previous trip came in 2013 when the Bulldogs battled St. Francis Brooklyn to an overtime meeting.
  • In its third appearance in the NEC playoffs, Bryant has now won both semifinals when slated as the No. 3 seed.
  • A pair of sophomores led the way in Bryant's semifinal victory, with Charles DeSantis (Saint-Mathias-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada) and Matteo Toti (Rome, Italy) tallying the goals.
  • Toti scored his first-career goal in the match, becoming Bryant's sixth separate goalscorer and ninth different player to secure a point this season.
  • Freshman Ben Williams (Unionville, Ontario) enters the match with 10 points, which leads the team, on four goals and two assists
  • With his goal, DeSantis joins classmates Felipe Cypriano (Malden, Mass.) and Antonio Terceros (Toronto, Ontario) with five points on the year, good for second on the team leaderboard.
  • Bryant is averaging 14 shots per game in its last five matches.
  • The Bulldogs defense has not allowed multiple goals to a conference opponent in its last 17 matches.

A bit about the Blackbirds

  • The regular season champions in the NEC earned their way into the final with a 1-0 overtime victory over fourth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday afternoon. Rasmus Hansen scored just over five minutes into the extra period to win it.
  • LIU has dropped points in just two of its nine home matches this season, entering Sunday with a 7-1-1 record.
  • Frederik Mathisen joins Hansen atop the LIU scoring leaderboard with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
  • In net, the NEC's Rookie of the Year, Sam Ilin, has recorded a 0.92 goals-against average and .821 save percentage during the year. He made five saves in the Blackbirds' semifinal victory.

For an inside look at the Bulldogs' road through the postseason, be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.