Gravante vows different Mount St. Mary's vs. Bryant
Six days after Mount St. Mary’s dropped a 9-8 decision in overtime to Bryant at Waldron Family Stadium in Emmittsburg, the Mountaineers get a re-match with the Bulldogs in one semifinal of the Northeast Conference tournament on Friday night.
That suits coach Tom Gravante just fine.
“In this case, I think my players understand they dropped one they should’ve won,” he said Thursday. “They weren’t playing at their best, and it was a 9-8 ballgame. So I’m very certain that we’re going to field a different team on Friday night than we saw last Saturday.”
Part of that has to do with a series of much improved practices this week compared last week's, which left Gravante less than impressed.
“Last week, our performance on Saturday was directly related to how were practicing,” Gravante said. “I don’t think we were practicing with enough passion and conviction. … I’m more confident in my guys after watching them the last four days. … I think they know. I can see it in their eyes. They’re ready, and I think they really want this game. Rather than playing somebody else, I think they want a shot at Bryant.”
Game-planning against an opponent just six days after the first meeting is easier, Gravante said. But he said the coaches and players are preparing for a re-tweaked Bulldogs team.
“They threw a couple wrinkles in their offensive strategy that we didn’t see,” Gravante said. “So we’re going to be better prepared for that. … And we have some things that we didn’t get a chance to run, some plays here and there. But absolutely. And I think Coach [Mike] Pressler expects that.”
The Mountaineers (7-6 overall and 4-1 in the NEC) meet Bryant (8-8, 3-2) in the later semifinal, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. The first semifinal between No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (6-6, 4-1) and No. 3 seed Robert Morris (9-5, 3-2) will begin at 5 p.m.
