Bryant to host regional rival UMass Lowell Wednesday
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bulldogs return home after three games away from Smithfield to take on UMass Lowell Wednesday afternoon at the Bryant Track and Turf Complex at 12:00 p.m. Bryant is looking to avenge last season's overtime loss to the River Hawks in Lowell, Mass.
Bryant is coming off an offensive clinic on Saturday afternoon, matching their season high with 18 goals in a ten-goal victory over Niagara in Buffalo. Junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) matched her Division I program record with eight goals, while sophomore Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) chipped in a six-point effort.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: UMass Lowell
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Bryant Track and Turf Complex – Smithfield, R.I.
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Presto Sports
Live Updates via Twitter: @BryantWLax
THE SERIES
Bryant and UMass Lowell have met each year since the River Hawks started their program in 2015. Last year was the first time the Bulldogs fell in the series, with Bryant winning 16-3 and 11-9 in the first two meetings.
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
UMass Lowell has won their last two games against Northeast Conference foes, defeating Wagner 11-9 and Sacred Heart 18-9 at Cushing Field in Lowell, Mass. Before that, the River Hawks were losers of their first four, including an overtime loss at Iona.
They are led offensively by Kendyl Finelli and Taylor Sokol, who have combined for 35 of their 89 points in the first six games. Finelli has recorded 21 on eight goals and 13 assists, while Sokol has scored 14 goals on the year. In the cage, Renee Gonzalez and Courtney Barrett split the 60 minutes on Saturday vs. Sacred Heart.
BRYANT vs. THE AMERICA EAST
The Bulldogs are already 1-0 vs. the conference this season, recording a 16-6 victory over Albany earlier in the season. Bryant historically has five wins against the conference in 12 tries, including 2-1 record against UMass Lowell and a perfect 2-0 resume against Vermont.
AWARDS GALORE
Of the 12 weekly honors given out by the Northeast Conference this season, five of them have been given to Bulldogs, including two this week. Junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) has won three Player of the Week honors, including back to back after winning again this week, and senior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) has won two Defensive Player of the Week honors after her performances in the cage vs. Albany, as well as Canisius and Niagara.
DEM-EIGHT-O DOES IT AGAIN
Junior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) scored eight goals for the second time in the last three games, tying her Division I program record that she set on March 10 against Harvard. The Mount Sinai, N.Y. native also leads the country in goals per game, scoring 4.50 per game and 27 total in her first six games this season. She's also fourth in the nation in free position goals per game at 1.83.
WAMP RECORDS CAREER DAY
Redshirt-sophomore Melissa Wamp (Florham Park, N.J.) scored her first two career goals on Thursday at Canisius. After twice missing the entire season due to an injury, the Florham Park, N.J. native has seen more time this season and is making the most of it, adding in a pair of ground balls and caused turnovers in her four appearances this season.
DEFEND OUR DIRT
The Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 15 games in Smithfield, including a season-opening win against Albany on February 24. The Black and Gold are coming off a perfect 9-0 record at the Bulldog Track and Turf Complex in 2017, in which they defeated teams by a combined margin of 84 goals. That includes five games in which Bryant defeated its opposition by 10 or more goals.
THE BATCHELLER FILE
With a record of 68-30, sixth-year head coach Jill Batcheller is the winningest coach in Bryant history. Her winning percentage of .691 is 11th nationally among active coaches in the NCAA and third-highest among active coaches in New England.
TAKE CARE OF THE BALL!
Bryant has been able to be one of the best offensive teams in the country based on their ability to hold onto the ball. The Bulldogs rank 13th in the country in turnovers per game entering the weekend, only giving it away 11.50 times per game. Additionally, Bryant only turns the ball over on 32.5 percent of their possessions, which is eighth in the country, according to AnalyticsLacrosse.com.
UP TO ELEVEN
Sophomore Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.) recorded 11 points on Saturday afternoon, tying the program record for points in a game. That tied her for second-most nationally for points in a game this season, trailing UMBC's Sara Moeller. The six assists she dished out were also second in the country for most assists in a game by a single player. The Long Beach native's previous career-high was seven points against Mount St. Mary's on April 28, 2017.
SAVES BY SANTERAMO
After recording five all of last season, senior Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) has recorded four double-digit save performances this season after two this weekend in Buffalo. She tallied 11 saves against Canisius and 10 against Niagara to go along with her performances against Albany and Brown. Santeramo has also been named NEC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU
After being held scoreless at Hartford, senior Catlin Brown (San Diego, Calif.) has recorded four straight games with a goal and has added an assist in five of her six games this season. For her career,