October 15, 2008
Box Score
BULLDOGS DOWNED BY FRIARS, 2-0, AT GLAY FIELD WEDNESDAY
PROVIDENCE, RI- The Bryant Bulldogs hung with Providence for the
first 45 minutes of play, but a goal by Tim Ritter 56 seconds into
the second half helped the Friars down the visiting Bulldogs, 2-0,
in Providence Wednesday afternoon. The Friars outshot Bryant 24-5
in the game, as Bryant dodged bullet after bullet from the
Providence attack before relinquishing the early second half
goal. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 1-13-1 on the season, as
they get ready to play their season finale on October
25th at Albany, concluding their first season of
Division I play.
The first half was controlled by Providence (6-4-3, 3-4-1 Big
East), creating several quality scoring chances throughout the
first 45 minutes. The Bulldog defense would bend but not break,
with freshman keeper Andrew Snell (South Salem,
N.Y.) making key saves to help hold the Friars scoreless
going into halftime. Snell ended the game with 11 stops in net, six
coming in the first half.
The best chance of the half for the Friars came from sophomore
Alex Redding, driving a shot from the top of the penalty box over a
sliding Snell that hit the top of the crossbar and was cleared
away.
Snell got some help in the 15th minute from freshman
Nicholas Parisi (Holbrook, N.Y.), as a shot from
Michael Narciso was tipped by a diving Snell and rolled towards the
goal mouth but was cleared off the line by Parisi.
Bryant forced the Friars into three big offsides calls,
including two that would have led to Providence goals. The first
came midway through the first half on a ball delievered to senior
midfielder Ryan Maduro that he headed past the keeper Snell, but
was taken away as he was whistled offsides. The second came late in
the half on a pass played over the top of the Bryant defense to
Alex Redding who was on a breakaway, but once again was whistled
dead as Redding was just a step offside.
Bryant had their first chance in the 12th minute of
play on a corner kick from the right side off the foot of Parisi.
Tom Nelan (East Haddam, Conn.) was able to get up
and win the header but popped it straight up in the air as Friar
keeper Tim Murray pulled it down.
The Bulldogs had one more great chance in the 33rd
minute of play, as Ben Lawrence (Amherst, N.H.)
chipped a ball into the box, but it just barely went over the head
of Nelan at the far post and into the hands of Murray, as the two
teams would head into the halftime break scoreless.
The Friars broke the scoreless tie just 56 seconds into the
second half, when Matt Marcin played a beautiful back-heeled pass
to Tim Ritter, who struck a low-driven shot into the far side
netting to give the Friars a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes later, Marcin looked to add another assist, playing
a ball from the left side through the box, but Sean Kaukas
(Glastonbury, Conn.) was there to clear it away for the
Bulldogs. The sophomore continued to trouble Bryant in the
63rd minute, taking a free kick from 25 yards out that
hit off the far post and came out to Redding, but Snell made the
stop on the rebound.
The Bulldogs looked to respond in the 68th minute as
co-captain Matt Brown (South Easton, Mass.) made a
great run with the ball, carrying it to the center of the penalty
box, but put the shot high and wide of the far post. Seven minutes
later, Brown put a cross into the box the Kaukas headed towards the
goal, but once again went wide of the post.
Providence put the game away in the 80th minute on
the second assist of the day from Marcin, chipping a ball to
freshman Daniel Fabian who beat Snell with a nice one-on-one move
for an easy score to give the Friars the 2-0 victory. The Friars
get set for a matchup with 9th ranked Notre Dame Sunday.
Bryant will conclude their season after 10 day lay-off,
traveling to play University at Albany on Saturday, October
25th (1 p.m.).
Men's Soccer
@ Providence, RI
Providence 2, Bryant 0
Goals:
BRY - none
PC - Ritter (46th), Fabian (80th)
Shots - Bryant 5, Providence 24 Saves - Bryant 11, Providence
3
Halftime - 0-0
