SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Winners of back-to-back contests, the Bryant University women's lacrosse team concludes its three-game road trip at Siena College on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.
The Bulldogs (4-3) put together their most complete effort on March 15 at Presbyterian in an 18-4 triumph that featured 14 different goal scorers. The Saints (5-3) enter the seventh meeting in the series coming off a 17-11 setback at Vermont on March 19. Both sides have defeated one another three times, with Siena winning the first three matchups and Bryant being victorious in each of the last three seasons.
The Black and Gold will need to generate the same type of balance that was on display against the Blue Hose, but they will also rely on their top-two point getters to lead the way. Senior attacks Lauren Descalzo (Hauppauge, N.Y.) and Nicole Britton (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) have been stupendous against Siena, with Descalzo netting 11 goals in three encounters, as Britton has scored in all three contests to total four while handing out an assists and corralling six draw controls.
The Saints lead the MAAC in scoring defense (9.57) and will look to offer resistance against the Bulldogs attack behind the heels of a trio of seniors in netminder Samantha Horton and defenders Morgan Gallagher and Andi Elwell. Horton is 3-3 on the year in eight appearances and five starts, as she boasts a 39.3 saves percentage and an 11.75 goals-against average. Gallagher has registered 14 ground balls, six draw controls and eight caused turnovers, while Elwell has tallied eight ground balls, five draws and six forced turnovers.
Between the pipes for the Bulldogs will be either Samantha Santeramo (Wantagh, N.Y.) or Daja Andrews (Lumberton, N.J.). Santeramo has been terrific the last two outings, as she has turned away nine shots and allowed just three goals for consecutive victories (3-1). Andrews struggled against Winthrop on March 12 in a game in which she started, allowing 10 goals on 14 shots in the first half, but she made three saves and allowed just three scores against Presbyterian in the second frame.
As good as Siena's defense has been this year, its offense has carried it and that very offense will look to pose a threat to a Bryant defense that has given up just six goals in the last 90 minutes of action with 33 caused turnovers during that span.
The Saints and their league-leading offense at 13.29 goals per game (13th nationally) are paced by six double-digit point scorers, three of which have tallied 20+ points. Senior attack Sarah Croutier has 28 points on 21 goals and seven assists to go along with 17 ground balls and a team-best 11 caused turnovers. One of the top freshman in the MAAC, Lynzee Miller, has 26 points on 24 goals (2nd in the MAAC) with 12 ground balls and 10 draws. Junior attack Michelle Schwartz has registered 20 points on 10 goals and 10 helpers.
The Saints win the 12th-most draw controls in the country per game (14) thanks to midfielders Lauren Smith and Briana Sirianni, who have 30 and 20 draws, respectively, as the former leads the team with 20 ground balls. Smith and Croutier have each tallied five points against the Bulldogs in three-previous matchups.
Tuesday afternoons contest kicks off at 4:00 p.m. and the action can be seen live on stretchinternet.com/siena or followed along via livestats on sienasaints.com.
