Bulldogs open NEC slate Friday at home, host Central Connecticut at 4:00 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's lacrosse Northeast Conference opener, originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday, has been moved to a 4:00 p.m. start time, as the Bulldogs host rival Central Connecticut at the Bryant Turf Complex to kick off 2015 league action.

The Bulldogs (6-3) enter the game off a heartbreaking 9-8 loss to Lehigh that saw the team's four-game winning streak snapped, and the Black and Gold will look to avoid dropping back-to-back decisions for the first time this season when they face off against the Blue Devils (3-6).

With 15 points and 11 goals, junior Madison Hughes leads CCSU's offense in 2015, while classmate Falynn McCartney is right behind with 14 points (11 goals, 3 assists). Sophomores Alexandra Hooker (12 points) and Marissa Soto (11), as well as freshman Kylie Sullivan (11) all also boast double-digit point totals through the season's first nine games, though the Blue Devils rank seventh in the NEC at just 7.22 goals per game.

McCartney is among the best in the conference when it comes to draw controls, ranking second and averaging 3.67 per outing. She also chips in nine caused turnovers, second most on the team, and has 10 ground balls on the year.

Defensively, goalie Morgan Tullar returns for her final season between the pipes, and it has been a stellar one so far. The three-year starting netminder leads the league in saves per game, averaging 9.33 each time out to rank 11th in the nation in the statistic. She has 84 stops in total on the season (second in the NEC) and has posted a .404 save percentage that is good for fifth on the league circuit. She enters Friday's tilt with a 13.80 goals against average and also leads the Blue Devils with 22 ground balls.

The Bulldogs will counter with their own strong netminding duo of rookies Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) and Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.), who have found success splitting time in goal this season. Together, the pair has anchored the NEC's top-ranked defense, allowing only 7.89 goals per game to rank 14th nationally. The duo combines for a .478 team save percentage (2nd in NEC) off 65 stops this season.

In front of them, sophomore defender Molly Martin (Island Park, N.Y.) has been spectacular at putting the ball on the ground this season, posting 13 caused turnovers and picking up 20 ground balls, both team highs. Sophomore Carly Cronin (Feeding Hills, Mass.) is right there with her classmate, recording nine forced giveaways with 14 ground balls in nine starts.

Offensively, the powerhouse duo of sophomore Emily Columbus (East Northport, N.Y.) and junior Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) have taken competition by storm in 2015, combining for nearly 45 percent of the team's total points and accounting for exactly half of the Bulldogs' 102 total goals. Columbus leads the way with 36 points off 25 goals and 11 helpers and ranks third in the league in goals, goals per game, points and points per game. She ranks sixth in assists per contest as well. Descalzo adds 30 points off a team-leading 26 goals and four assists, ranking second in the NEC in goals and goals per game and fifth in points per outing.

Junior Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) adds 24 points (12g, 12a) of her own, while senior Shannon Burns (Mount Sinai, N.Y.), junior Morgan LaBarbera (New Fairfield, Conn.) and frosh Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) have all posted double-digit points on the year. Burns leads the team off the restart with 25 draw controls.

Friday's game can be seen live and free-of-charge on NECFrontRow.com.