Women's Lacrosse Season Preview
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After the 2020 season was cut short just six games in, the Bryant University women's lacrosse program is ready to take the field and handle unfinished business from a year ago.
The Bulldogs posted a 4-2 record last year and showed a lot of promise of success. Despite losing six seniors, Bryant returns over 75% of its scoring as well as the bulk of its defensive unit, including a two-year starter in between the pipes.
Attack
Junior Alexa Weber returns for the Black and Gold as Bryant's top goal scorer after netting 20 goals in just six games. Weber also broke Bryant's all-time single-game scoring record when she poured in nine at UMass Lowell in 2020. The offensive powerhouse also proved to be one of the biggest offensive threats in the conference as she led the NEC with seven shots per game, 5.5 of which were on target. Out of the returners, Weber also ranked second on the team a year ago with 11 ground balls.
Also returning in Bryant's attack are seniors Caitlin Bolen and Natalie Langella. Bolen trailed Weber as the team's leading goal scorer with 11 followed by Langella with seven. Bolen also went a perfect four-for-four in free position opportunities last season and converted over 50% of her shots into goals. Langella not only showed her ability to score but has demonstrated first-class passing skills as well throughout her four years in the Black and Gold. Last season she tied for second on the team with four assists.
Bryant scored big when junior Cassidy Burns transferred to Smithfield after achieving massive success at Manhattan College in 2019. The MAAC Rookie of the Year was Bryant's leader in assists after nearly breaking Manhattan's all-time single-season assists record as a freshman. The Long Island native recorded five goals, seven assists, seven groundballs, and two caused turnovers.
Junior captain Emily Diaz is also back for the Bulldogs after missing the 2020 season due to injury. Diaz produced nine goals and three assists during her rookie campaign in 2019 including 10 draw controls, seven ground balls, and six caused turnovers.
Three freshmen join that attacking unit in Chamberlaine Bell, Brooke Blanche, and Kenna Kaut.
Midfield
Seniors Megan McCarthy and Devon Bolen look to hold down the midfield. McCarthy leads the team as one of three captains of the Bulldogs after being a dominant force in the circle. In six games, McCarthy collected 30 draw controls and ranked fourth in the NEC with five per game. Bolen also aided in Bryant's draw control dominance with 27 ranking her sixth in the conference with 4.5 per game. The duo also combined for seven caused turnovers and each dished out one assist. Bolen added four goals on the season including a season-best of two in Bryant's 12-8 win over Vermont.
A promising standout rookie season for now sophomore Skylar Simmonds was cut short after accumulating three goals and four assists in 2020. Accompanying Simmonds and the rest of the Bulldogs in the midfield is senior Abbi England who returns for a fourth season. England contributed one goal and one assist as well as four draw controls, three groundballs, and one caused turnover last season.
Freshmen Lily Auger and Madison Scherner will also look to earn time in Bryant's midfield this season.
Defense
Graduate student Gabriella Henry is back for a fifth season with Bryant and looks to lead a young defensive unit as one of the captains for Bryant. Henry started in all six games in 2020 and scooped eight groundballs and forced four turnovers. Seniors Shea Farrell and Jamie Fischer will help Henry in leading Bryant's defenders as the duo rank as Bryant's top returning defenders. Fischer leads Bryant's returners in caused turnovers (11) and groundballs (12) from a year ago. She even posted a career-game last season of five caused turnovers at Manhattan, holding the Jaspers to just two goals. Farrell had a late start to the 2020 season appearing in the final four games of the short six-game slate. In the four games, Farrell scooped a career-best of three groundballs at Manhattan to go along with one caused turnover. She finished the season with four GBs and two caused turnovers.
Juniors Logan O'Donnell and Jenna Birnbohm-Kaminski, and sophomore Carsin Gronbach look to see more minutes on the field, as well as three freshman defenders in Molly Anderson, Geneva Berrett, and Emma Sears.
Goalie
Two-year starter and NEC All-Rookie Team honoree Gigi Kapoosuzian returns between the pipes for the Black and Gold. Kapoosuzian has consistently shown that she's one of the top goalies in the NEC ranking in the top half of the conference in goals-against average (9.50), save percentage (.457), and saves (48).
Outside of Kapoosuzian, Bryant features two other goalies on the roster who are eager to get on the field in sophomore Sam Ciancio and freshman Sam Centofante.