SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Four different Bulldogs scored their first collegiate goals as the Bryant field hockey team opened the 2025 season with weather-shortened 6-0 victory over New Haven on Friday at Cowen Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs are 1-0 for the third-straight season. Friday's game originally was scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start but didn't get underway until 1:50 p.m. due to thunderstorms. The game was then delayed for nearly an hour with 11:01 left in the third. The game was eventually called after three quarters and is an official game.

Despite Mother Nature's best efforts, Friday's opener provided many firsts for the Bulldogs as Maddy DeFilippo, Elyse Bouchard, Megan Smith and Emerson Johnson all found the back of the cage for the first time in their careers. In addition, first-year head coach Kellie Joyce earned her first victory as a college head coach in her first career game.

Game Information
Bryant 6, New Haven 0
Records: Bryant (1-0, 0-0), New Haven (0-1, 0-0)
Location: Cowen Field (Smithfield, R.I.)

Key Moments

• Bouchard and Smith scored three minute apart to give the Bulldogs a commanding 3-0 lead in the first half.

First Quarter

• Bryant controlled play in the first quarter and took the lead on DeFilippo's first-career goal. The rookie from Pequannock Township, N.J., took the ball away at the offensive 25 and charged the endline before slipping a shot past the keeper at a tough angle.
• The Bulldogs extended the lead with under three minutes left in the quarter as Alexa Sedicino carried the ball towards the endline before flipping to the middle where Bouchard was there to direct it home.

Second Quarter

• Bryant struck less than a minute into the second quarter to make it 3-0. Sedicino started the play again, carrying the ball into the circle before finding an open Smith. Smith turned and slipped it past the keeper to make it 3-0.

Third Quarter

• The game was delayed due to lighting with 11:01 left in the quarter. The delay lasted roughly one hour before play was resumed.
• Bryant would score three goals in the final eight minutes to close out the game. Caito started the scoring as she took a feed from Sedicino and buried it in the back of the cage.
• Bouchard picked up her first collegiate assist as she carried the endline before feeding Natalie Griffin right in front of the cage for the goal.
• The Bulldogs' final goal was the culmination of great passing as Lauren Rothwell swept a pass across the goal mouth that Johnson deflected home.

Fourth Quarter

• The fourth quarter was not played and the game was ruled official after three quarters.

Bryant Notes and Notables

• Bryant has now won its season opener in each of the last three seasons.
• The Bulldogs and Chargers were meeting for the first time in program history.
• Bryant scored six goals for the first time since Oct. 7, 2016 against LIU Brooklyn. The six goals are the most in a season opener in DI program history.
• Friday marked the first collegiate head coaching victory for Bryant's Kellie Joyce.
• Bouchard, DeFilippo and Johnson all scored their first collegiate goals in their collegiate debuts.
• Smith, a sophomore, also notched her first career goal.
• Sedicino tie the Bryant single-game program record with her three assists.
• Bouchard finished with three points on a goal and an assist.
• Caito's goal was the fifth of her career.
• Rothwell picked her second career assist.
• Sara DeSousa played the full 45 minutes and was not forced to make a save to earn the shutout.
• The shutout is the first of her career.

Up Next
Bryant closes out the opening weekend of play on Sunday (Aug. 31) when it hosts Stonehill at Cowen Field. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.