BRYANT LACROSSE 

March 23, 2007

BULLDOGS SET TO HOST TOP-RANKED LE MOYNE SATURDAY
1 p.m. / Bryant Turf Field

Junior Michael Kennedy leads the Bulldogs into Saturday's showdown with No. 1 Le Moyne.  Game time is 1 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, RI - Winners to two in a row over nationally ranked opponents, the Bryant University men's lacrosse team will go for its third-straight this Saturday afternoon afternoon against Le Moyne at 1 p.m.   Certainly wins over previously No. 9 St. Andrew's and No. 10 Pace were impressive after opening the year 0-2. On Saturday, the Bulldogs face the nation's best in the top-ranked and defending national champion Dolphins. 

As part of Spirit Weekend, several Bryant alumni will be on hand as well as a large contingent of former Duke players will make the trip up to Smithfield for the game. Following the game, there will be a parents reception located next to the field.

Bryant (2-2, 1-0 in the NE-10) has never defeated Le Moyne in 12 tries, though not many teams in the country have either.  Winners of 21 in a row (63 regular season games), the Dolphins (3-0, 0-0 NE-10) bring a 70 game Northeast-10 Conference win streak  into Saturday's game with Bryant. 

All three wins this year for Le Moyne have also been against ranked foes - including two teams Bryant has already faced this year as well.  The Dolphins opened the year with a 17-5 win over Adelphi and followed with an 8-7 overtime win against Mercyhurst and a 10-5 win over C.W. Post last Saturday. 

In Bryant's first two games of the year, the Bulldogs held a dominating shot advantage in each game but couldn't find the back of the net in dropping games to Adelphi and C.W. Post.  Recently, the offense has started to find its groove, scoring 20 goals in the past pair of games. 

On the season, Bryant has out-shot its opponents 160 to 91 and won 32 of 57 face-offs (.561) despite losing all-American Andrew Hennessey to an injury earlier this year.  

Sophomores Bryan Kaufmann and Kevin Hoagland lead Bryant with nine goals on the year while Jim Long is next with six.   Long had three goals in Tuesday's win over Pace at home, joining co-captain Bryan Molk who also notched a hat trick in the Bulldog victory. 

Co-captain Corey MacDougall leads a consistent and solid defensive line of Sean Pasley and Matt Murnane.  MacDougall has a team-best 22 ground balls.