Bryant hosts UMass Friday to open 2019, Roche era

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - A new era of Bryant Women's Lacrosse begins Friday when the Bulldogs host perennial regional contender UMass inside the Conaty Indoor Athletic Center.

Friday's contest marks the first game at the helm for head coach Brianna Roche, who arrived in Smithfield last fall.

Single-game tickets to the contest in the Conaty Indoor Athletic Center will not be available due to capacity limitations.

The Particulars
Opponent: UMass
Location: Conaty Indoor Athletic Center – Smithfield, R.I.
Date and Time: Friday, Feb. 15 – 7 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row (Jake Zimmer)
Live Stats: Presto Sports
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #GoBryant | #NECWLax 

THE SERIES
Friday marks the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Minutewomen and Bryant's first contest against an Atlantic 10 opponent. 

SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN
UMass opens the year chasing a conference opponent for an A10 title for the first time since 2009, when the Minutewomen won their first of nine straight league titles. UMass did not lose a conference game between April 18, 2010 and April 22, 2018, when VCU emerged victorious in overtime. Richmond ended UMass' run of conference titles last May in Richmond at the A10 Championship. 

The Minutewomen graduate their top two players in points from a year ago but return Kaitlyn Cerasi (39 goals, 30 assists) and Kiley Anderson (47 goals, eight assists). Anderson controlled a team-high 107 draws in 2018, while Lauren Hiller returns in goal after starting all 19 games last season.

HELLO AGAIN
Head coach Brianna Roche's debut at the helm of the Black & Gold will be against a familiar foe. Roche spent the 2015-17 seasons on the UMass sidelines, helping the Minutewomen to a 56-8 record. The .875 winning percentage in those three years was second only to Maryland nationally. 

THE LIMIT DOES NOT EXIST
Bryant has continued to improve among the nation's leaders in scoring defense over the last three seasons. The Bulldogs ranked 35th nationally in 2016 and 14th in 2017 before rising to fifth in the nation last year at 8.94 goals allowed per game. 

DeMEO RISING IN RECORD BOOKS
Senior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) enters the 2019 campaign with sights set on a pair of program records. DeMeo needs 27 goals to break Bryant's all-time goals mark of 177 set by Lauren Descalzo and 23 points to pass Descalzo's D1 points record of 196. 

WE CAN SPLIT THE THROGS NECK TOLL
Bryant is one of seven Division I teams with 10 or more players from Long Island. The Bulldogs' group of 10 from across the Sound includes Bryant's top two players in points from a year ago, senior Jess DeMeo (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and junior Caitlin Breglia (Long Beach, N.Y.). 

TEAMMATES x2
The 2019 Bulldogs feature five sets of teammates who were also teammates in high school: 

» Jenna Birnbohm-Kaminski and Kaitlyn Birnbohm-Kaminski, Seneca (N.J.)
» Caitlin Bolen and Devon Bolen, Queensbury (N.Y.)
» Brianna Blatter and Jamie Fischer, Comsewogue (N.Y.)
» Kelly Jacobsen and Natalie Langella, Northport (N.Y.)
» Shea Farrell and Leah Nocera, Westwood (Mass.) 

SIBLING RIVALRY
Senior Lauren Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) enters the season needing 54 draw controls to surpass the Bryant all-time career record set by her older sister, Nicole, who collected 171 from 2013-16. Lauren Britton's 77 draw controls in 2018 best the single-season best of Nicole, who tallied 53 as both a sophomore and senior. 

BUNNY HOPPING UP THE ALL-TIME DC LIST
Senior Meredith James' (Essex Fells, N.J.) 92 draw controls in 2018 - the most in a single-season in program history - catapulted her to fourth in Bryant's Division I era with 104 for her career. 

FOLLOW THE LEADER
Prior to the season, Coach Roche named the Bulldogs' three captains for the 2019 season: seniors Lauren Britton and Jess DeMeo and junior Katherine Clark (New Fairfield, Conn.). The Bulldogs will also employ a Senior Leadership Group consisting of Emma Ahlrichs (Zionsville, Ind.), Meredith James and Jasmine Perkins (West Babylon, N.Y.) to help lead the Black & Gold off the field. 

UP NEXT: ALBANY
Bryant will have 11 days before its next game, when the Bulldogs face America East foe Albany in the Capital Region of New York, Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.

Season tickets for the 2019 campaign at Beirne Stadium are available by clicking HERE.

Follow Bryant Women's Lacrosse on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for an inside look at the program.