Bryant-CCSU moved to Sunday

BULLDOGS TRAVEL TO NEW BRITAIN, CONN., TO FACE CCSU ON SUNDAY

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SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In search of its first victory of the season, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team opens Northeast Conference play with a trip to New Britain, Conn., on Sunday, Feb. 26 to face Central Connecticut State University at 1:00 p.m.

This weekend's meeting between the Bulldogs (0-1) and the Blue Devils (0-1) was originally scheduled for Saturday but Friday's snowstorm across New England forced officials to move the game to Sunday.

Led by first-year head coach Kelly Nangle, the Blue Devils were picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll, a spot behind the Bulldogs. In their first game of the season, the Blue Devils received two-point outings from Ashley Mara, Ashley Perkoski and Betsy Vendel but were outscored, 10-1, in the first half before eventually losing, 18-5, to Stony Brook.

Central Connecticut finished second in the conference in goals per game (12.56), assists per game (6.06) and points per game (18.62) last season and return a good portion of that scoring in 2012. Vendel, the older sister of Bryant sophomore midfielder Lisa Vendel, led the conference with 60 points (3.75 per game) and finished second in the conference with 29 assists. Meaghan McCurry and Mackenzy Ryan finished 3-4 in goals per game with 2.38 (38) and 2.31 (37), respectively.

Bryant's 2012 season got off to a slow start with a 14-5 loss to Holy Cross on Wednesday. Goals from Lauren Sheridan (Bethpage, N.Y.) and Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.) gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the first half but the Crusaders answered with six-straight goals. Sheridan finished with a pair of goals and Kimberley Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) and Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.) also potted goals for the Black and Gold. Three of Bryant's five goals came on free position opportunities, as the Bulldogs finished the afternoon 3-for-5. Lauren Filippone (West Babylon, N.Y.) played well in between the pipes for the Bulldogs, stopping 17 shots and holding the Crusaders to just a 1-for-6 output in free position chances. Holy Cross dominated in ground balls and draw controls, commanding a 22-7 advantage in ground balls and a 15-6 advantage in draw controls.

Coming off its best conference finish in program history in 2011, the Bulldogs take their first step towards defying their sixth-place ranking in the preseason poll against the Blue Devils. Bryant has been victorious in all three meetings with CCSU since joining the NEC in 2008. Last year, the Bulldogs outscored the Blue Devils, 9-2, in the second half, earning a come-from-behind victory at the Bryant Turf Complex, 13-9. Sheridan and Bloom each recorded hat tricks for the Black and Gold and Lisa Vendel and Mary Green (Merrick, N.Y.) each added a pair of tallies. Mackenzy, McCurry and Betsy Vendel all scored twice for CCSU, with Vendel adding two assists for a four-point night.

Following Sunday's trip to the Constitution State, the Bulldogs return to Smithfield on Saturday, March 3 to host Navy. The game is scheduled to begin at noon and is the first game of a men's and women's lacrosse doubleheader, as the men's lacrosse team plays host to Vermont at 3:00 p.m.