SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The 26^th season of Bryant field hockey begins Friday afternoon as the Bulldogs welcome Fairfield to Jeffrey '69 and Lily Cowen Field.
Bryant is coming off its best season in over a decade and looks to continue its trajectory with a solid core of returners and an influx of youthful talent. That youth comes in the form of a 10-member freshmen class that matches the 2009 squad for the largest rookie group in DI program history.

The Forwards
The Black and Gold will have to replace 80 percent (24-of-30) of its scoring from a season ago and that starts up front with veterans Abby Crowley, Zoe Bates and Lauren Rothwell.
Crowley has appeared in 16 career games in her first three years for the Black and Gold, while Bates has notched three goals in her first two seasons. Rothwell scored her first career goal and added an assist last fall and has appeared in 31 games in two seasons.

The rest of the Bulldogs' forward unit will feature underclassmen. Sophomores Callie Caito, Carly Dimock and Alex Sedicino lead the group, while freshmen Megan Smith, Emma Kerr and Filou Verhoeven all look to make an impact in their first year.

Caito saw the most action of the group last fall, making 14 appearances, while Sedicino made 11 appearances.
Smith was a standout at Joseph Case High School in Swansea, Mass., earning Boston Globe Division 4 Player of the Year as a senior after posting 44 goals. Kerr enjoyed a stellar career at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, while Verhoeven comes from Vught, Netherlands.

The Midfield
Bryant's most experienced group will be in the midfield. Caitlin Gallagher and Natalie Griffin lead the way in the middle as captains along with Zoe Bates. Gallagher has appeared in 48 career games (37 starts) and has posted four points.

Griffin is coming off a breakout season that saw her finish with three goals and five assists for 11 points. She has appeared in 36 games (35 starts) in her first two seasons and is a former America East All-Rookie selection.

Kerin Birch and Hannah van Dooren join the group as freshmen and look to add to the transition game. Birch led Walpole to a state championship in 2023 and was named an Max Field Hockey All-New England First Team selection. van Dooren was standout at Corderius College in the Netherlands.

The Defense
Bryant's defense will feature all underclassmen as four returners will be joined by four rookies. Julie Diderich appeared in 10 games (seven starts) and posted two assists, while Claire Joss made seven appearances. Jenny Sorrentino and Gabrielle Dwyer both look to make their collegiate debuts this season.

The four newcomers on the backline are Linde van Leeuwen, Eva Boogers, Liv Martino and Jaedyn Scarlatos. van Leeuwen and Boogers both join the Bulldogs after standout prep careers in the Netherlands. Martino earned first team all-conference honors last fall at Shawnee (N.J.), while Scarlatos played at The Hill School in Pennsylvania.

The Goalies
Bryant will have two new faces between the pipes this season as Sara DeSousa and Maud van Lierop join the program.

DeSousa transferred to Bryant in January of 2024 from Merrimack College. The Cumberland, R.I., native appeared in four games for the Warriors, making five saves in relief.
van Lierop comes from the Netherlands and was invited to the selections for the Dutch U18 team in 2022.

Coach Coppola on excitement heading into 2024
"We are excited to kickoff the 2024 season as we continue.to elevate our performance since joining the America East. Our freshmen class brings experience, competitive spirit and speed to a returning group that committed themselves to tactical and technical growth during the off season."

Coach Coppola on team chemistry
"Our team chemistry has started off at an all-time high and I look forward to seeing how this group's positive connection can help support our season goals."

Coach Coppola on playing 12 home games
"We look forward to welcoming 12 programs to Steven '69 and Lily Cowen Field this fall. Many of these schools will be visiting Bryant for the first time and we are excited to showcase our first-class facility." 

Zoe Bates on the team's preseason
"We've had really good energy. There's alot of good newcomers and I think that we are jelling really well. The work ethic is super high so I'm excited to see that continue."

Zoe Bates on the underclassmen
"They seem to work really well together and they bring a different type of energy that we've never seen before. They are a lot of fun to be around on and off the field."

Zoe Bates on playing 12 home games
"It means a lot to us, to have more people come and watch field hockey and grow the game. It's great to have our families be able to come and watch us and represent our school."