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Vendel, DePetris-Batcheller headline seven All-NEC honors
Posted: May 01, 2014

Vendel, DePetris-Batcheller headline seven All-NEC honors

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Headlined by NEC Offensive Player of the Year Lisa Vendel (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and NEC Coach of the Year Jill DePetris-Batcheller, the top-seeded Bryant University women's lacrosse team saw five players named all-conference selections after a record-setting 2014 campaign, as announced by league officials on the eve of the 2014 Northeast Conference Tournament.

The Bulldogs host NEC postseason play for the first time after going undefeated in conference play with a 7-0 record and posting a 13-3 overall mark to set the program record for wins in a season. Of its five all-conference picks, three earned All-NEC First Team accolades with two more named to the All-NEC Second Team.

Vendel, a senior midfielder, is joined on the All-NEC First Team by top attack duo Haley Bloom (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.). Senior midfielder Kim Sniffen (Redding, Conn.) and senior goalie Brianna Watt (Babylon, N.Y.) wrap up stellar seasons of their own with all-league second team nods.

This is the first NEC Coach of the Year honor for DePetris-Batcheller, now in her second season at the helm of the Bulldogs. DePetris-Batcheller led the Bulldogs to a program-record 13 wins this season as well as the team's first-ever undefeated league campaign (7-0) and its first time hosting the NEC Tournament. Under her guidance, the Bulldogs posted league-leading numbers in points (285), scoring offense (13.19 goals per game), scoring margin (+3.88) and overall win percentage (.813), with the latter three all ranked in the nation's top-20. The Black and Gold rank second in the NEC in draw controls (12.63 per game) and scoring defense (9.31 goals allowed per game) and are third in ground balls per game (16.75).

Vendel makes her second-straight appearance on the All-NEC First Team and earns her first NEC Offensive Player of the Year honor after posting 50 points and a team-leading 42 goals on the 2014 season, numbers that rank fifth and second, respectively, on the league circuit. One of the team's top two-way players, Vendel also ranks first on the team, fourth in the league and in the top-25 nationally in ground balls per game with 2.69 each time out and is seventh in the NEC with 2.38 draw controls per contest. The Connecticut native adds just over one caused turnover per game, as well.

Classmate Bloom leads the Bulldog scoring charts with 52 points thanks to a five-goal outing in the regular-season finale and makes her second all-conference appearance but first as a member of the All-NEC First Team. Bloom ranks second in the league with 1.25 assists per game and leads her team with 20 helpers on the year, also ranking ninth in the league in goals (32, 2.00/game) and fourth in points (3.25/game). Bloom graduates as the program's Division I leader in points and assists.

Wrapping up Bryant's first-team picks, Descalzo enters 2014 NEC Tournament action with 45 points, good for third on the team, and 41 goals, good for second behind Vendel. Those numbers rank ninth and fourth in the NEC, respectively, while the sophomore adds 15 ground balls, 19 draw controls and four caused turnovers on the season.

Sniffen, a senior midfielder and one of the league's top two-way players, has been an integral part of the Bulldogs' historic season on both sides of the ball and repeats as an All-NEC Second Team pick in 2014. Ranked in the team's top-5 in points, goals, assists, ground balls and draw controls, she leading the team with 24 caused turnovers, good for fourth in the NEC at 1.50 per game.

Watt finishes the regular season with 116 saves in 16 games, holding NEC opponents to single-digit goals in all seven league contests while anchoring the Bulldogs' second-ranked league defense. Watt's 7.25 saves per game rank fifth on the league circuit, while her .441 save percentage is good for second overall and her 8.99 goals against average ranks third on the NEC charts. She is also ranked fifth in ground balls per game, with 2.31 each time out.

The Bulldogs (13-3, 7-0 NEC) will look to keep their seven-game win streak alive as they enter the 2014 NEC Tournament Friday afternoon for a 4 p.m. faceoff against fourth-seeded Central Connecticut. Bryant took the regular-season meeting between the sides, 16-6, on April 18 in New Britain, Conn., as the Black and Gold saw hat tricks from a trio of senior leaders in Vendel, midfielder Katherine Keckeisen (Danbury, Conn.) and attacker Olivia McCarthy (Sea Girt, N.J.). Watt made eight saves in the outing before giving way to rookie backup Casey Asquith (Rumford, R.I.), while both McCarthy (3g, 2a) and Sniffen (2g, 3a) tallied a game-best five points in the win.

Four of the Blue Devils' (7-9, 4-3) six goals came from All-NEC Second Teamer Falynn McCartney, including two on free position attempts, with the other pair coming from the stick of first team selection Amanda Toke. Elyse Malecki dished out the team's only assist of the day, while NEC Goalie of the Year and All-NEC First Teamer Morgan Tullar made 11 stops in the contest.

Last season, the Bulldogs avenged a regular-season loss to the Blue Devils by upsetting third-seeded CCSU, 11-10, in the tournament semifinal to advance to the NEC title bout against top-seeded Monmouth. Bryant fell in the championship game, 9-7, and is in search of its first NEC Tournament Championship in 2014 after securing the regular-season crown.

The NEC Tournament's second semifinal kicks off Friday at 7:00 p.m. between #2 Wagner and #3 Robert Morris. The winners of both semifinal matchups will advance to Sunday's NEC Championship Game, held at 1:00 p.m. at the Bryant Turf Complex. All three games can be seen live and free-of-charge at NECFrontRow.com.