SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's lacrosse team looks to keep its momentum going after a comeback win a week ago and will take on the University of Hartford on the road Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
The Bulldogs (2-1) rebounded from a slow start against intrastate rival Providence College in their last outing, making up an early 6-1 deficit on the back of a varied and balanced attack that featured 10 different point getters and a four-goal outburst by senior captain Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.).
The Hawks (1-0) upset a Boston University squad knocking on the door of the national top-20 in their season debut Saturday, never trailing in the contest and scoring eight fourth-quarter goals to quell any thoughts of a Terrier comeback.
"Hartford has only played one game, but it was an impressive road victory at BU," said Bryant head coach Mike Pressler. "They really took it to a team that was 3-0 and right there on the verge of the top-20, so we have a lot of respect for the Hartford Hawks."
The battle between the Hawks and the Bulldogs has been an intense one over the last two seasons, though Bryant has come out with two-score victories in both previous outings (7-5 in 2014, 11-9 in 2015).
Junior attack Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) and junior midfielder Ryan Sharpe (Poway, Calif.) each recorded a hat trick in their last opportunity against Hartford, driving a six-goal fourth-quarter surge that sealed the 2015 victory at home. Morrell and sophomore Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) also added a pair of scores, while the former has four points through the all-time series.
This season, James (4 goals, 5 assists), Sharpe (6g, 2a) and Morrell (5g, 3a) all once again sit at the top of the stat sheet – along with 2016 leader Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) (7g, 3a) – but the Bulldogs also feature an offense more balanced that ever before.
"Our offense has to be well balanced," said Pressler. "For us to be successful, we can't have one or two guys carrying the load. We will need balanced scoring from all units to come away with a win in this one."
But that offense will need to find its way past Ryan Vanderford in goal for the Hawks. The sophomore looked strong in a 12-save performance against the Terriers and sits behind a defense that forced 11 BU turnovers.
Hartford's attack was driven by seven combined goals from Jaedon Henderson (4) and Will Dulin (3), while nine different Hawks found the back of the net in the team's 2016 opener. The Hawks will look to prove that success was no fluke when they face off against All-American netminder Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.), who enters Saturday's contest with a .596 save percentage and 7.91 goals against average on the young season.
Another much-anticipated battle will come at the faceoff X, where Dylan Protesto returns for Saturday's hosts. The now-sophomore was the only opponent to hold former Bulldog and eight-time NCAA record holder Kevin Massa below 50 percent in 2015, going 13-for-23 a season ago. And after a strong 14-for-25 performance against the Terriers, Protesto will look for similar success against current Bryant faceoff man Kenny Massa (Huntington, N.Y.). Massa is 47-for-72 (.653) on the 2016 campaign, picking up a team-leading 21 ground balls through three contests.
"Last year, this was the only game we were under 50 percent," said Pressler. "So with No. 4 back, Hartford is as good at the faceoff X as any team we will play all year."
Another emphasis for the Bulldogs this week will be coming out fast and strong against an opponent ready to keep its own momentum flowing.
"We really want to come out of the gates playing hard and playing well," said Pressler. "For the last two games in particular, our start hasn't been up to par, and we are looking to change that this Saturday at 1 p.m.
"This is always a tough road trip for us," he continued. "We have so much respect for this team and this coaching staff. They play hard, they play loose, and they are always a tough out."
Live stats and streaming links to Saturday's contest can be found at bryantbulldogs.com.
