Bulldogs battle Rams in home opener

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's soccer team takes on the University of Rhode Island Thursday afternoon in its 2015 home opener (4:00 p.m.).

The Bulldogs (0-3) return home after a two-game road trip in Ohio and a short ride to the capital city, where they took on Providence College.

After splitting the first two games with sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Brightman (Rochester, N.Y.), junior goalie Kaylan Conrad (Avon, Conn.) got the sole play against Providence, where she helped hold the Friars to one goal. Conrad has raked in 14 saves in three games.

Freshman midfielder Alex Ralph (Peterborough, Ont.) has been a strong tool for the Bulldogs' offense, tallying four shots with a game-high two against Kent State (Aug. 23).

Sophomore midfielder Hannah Crofut (East Amherst, N.Y.) and classmate forward Haley Reddish (Natick, Mass.) have also totaled four shots each for the Black and Gold.

URI (1-1-1) enters the match having beat UMass Lowell but was defeated by Maine in their latest contest. The Rams have four goals on the season, led by freshman forward Emily Wakeford with two against UMass Lowell. Junior Katie Nickles returns in net for the Rams, gathering 23 saves on 28 shots on goal.

Thursday's match begins at 4 p.m. at Bulldog Soccer Field in Smithfield, and fans can follow along with live stats or watch the full game broadcast at necfrontrow.com.