Women's lax gets set for busy weekend

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's lacrosse team gets set for a big and busy weekend of league action, as the Bulldogs host a pair of Northeast Conference opponents in Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac. The Bulldogs (3-8, 2-2 NEC) take on the Pioneers (2-8, 1-2) Friday at 3 p.m. before facing the conference-leading Bobcats (6-3, 4-0) on Sunday at noon, both at the Bryant Turf Complex.

Bryant, tied for fourth in the NEC entering Friday's contest, has split four close games to start conference play. Bryant fell, 9-5, to Mount St. Mary's on March 25, and since then has picked up back-to-back one goal wins, handing Monmouth its only conference loss of the season, 8-7, March 27 in Smithfield before grabbing a 9-8 win on the road at Saint Francis (PA).

But Bryant does enter the weekend having lost its last time out, falling to Robert Morris on the road, 11-9, despite an impressive second-half effort. Trailing, 10-2, early in the second frame, Bryant went on an incredible 7-1 run to finish the contest, falling just shy of completing the comeback. The game showcased more of the talent of the Bulldogs' young ranks, as freshmen Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook, Conn.), Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and Kimberley Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) all tallied a pair of goals, while underclassmen accounted for all nine scores on the day.

Bloom leads the team this season with 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 total points, all three squad bests so far in 2011. Close behind Bloom is another rookie in Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.), who is second on the squad with 17 goals. Vendel enters weekend play third in scoring with 14 goals and two helpers, while junior captain Lauren Sheridan (Bethpage, N.Y.) has also reached double-digit goals this year with 11 (3 assists).

Leading the defense is junior captain and starting goalie Lauren Filippone (West Babylon, N.Y.), who is tops in the conference with a .602 save percentage, averaging 13.25 saves per game in NEC play. A recent NEC Defensive Player of the Week selection, Filippone sports an overall save percentage of .517, ranking her third in the nation. It is one of three categories in which the junior is ranked within the top-10 nationally, also holding the No. 5 spot in total saves (124) and the No. 8 position in saves per game (11.27). Filippone is tied for 28th in the country in ground balls per game, picking up 2.73 each time out and is the only Bulldog to be placed in the national rankings this season.

After playing eight of their first 11 games on the road, the Bulldogs welcome a three-game homestand they kick off Friday against Sacred Heart. The Pioneers and the Bobcats were picked to finish in a lock for first place in 2011 in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, but Sacred Heart has struggled with a tough schedule so far and sits in a tie for sixth in the league standings entering the weekend. Sacred Heart opened conference play with an 11-10 overtime loss to Robert Morris before crushing Saint Francis (PA), 18-9, a win that snapped a six-game losing skid dating back to early March. Last Friday, the Pioneers fell to Quinnipiac, 14-5, and look to get back to even in the league Friday against the Bulldogs.

Despite their struggles, the Pioneers have several individuals who have impressed this season. Junior Kate Kmiotek ranks fourth in the NEC at 2.20 goals per game and leads the team with 33 points off a team-best 22 tallies while chipping in 11 helpers. Sophomore Emily Pepe sits in fifth in the league with 1.30 assists per game and paces the Pioneers with 13 on the year to compliment her 12 scores. Pepe ranks first in conference play alone with 2.67 assists per game and is one of five double-digit scorers on the squad, including three with 20 goals or more (Kaitlin Rochler-20, Kelsey Russo-20, Kmiotek-22).

On Sunday, the Bulldogs turn their attention to league-leading Quinnipiac. The Bobcats have lived up to their billing as preseason favorites and are sitting pretty atop the standings with a perfect 4-0 record in league play, averaging a +6.25 margin of victory in those games. Quinnipiac has lost just three times this season, having taken non-conference wins over Vermont (12-11), Denver (16-15, 2OT) and most recently Columbia (13-12, OT) Wednesday night in the last contest before visiting Smithfield.

An experienced Bobcats squad has players among the leaders in several categories across the NEC. Junior Marissa Caroleo leads the conference with 3.00 goals per game and has 30 on the year. Seniors Laura Iannotti and Lauren Matuszczak also rank in the top=10, tied for fourth and ranking ninth, respectively. Fellow senior Christine Sinnigen is currently third in the NEC with 1.56 assists per game entering Friday's action around the league, while Kaitlyn Kelly averages 2.75 ground balls per game (5th) and junior Devon Gibney, the reigning NEC Offensive Player of the Week, is second in the conference with 2.70 draw controls per outing.

Both contests will be broadcast LIVE on bryantbulldogs.tv and can also be followed via the live stats link at www.bryantbulldogs.com.