FITCHBURG, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University women's lacrosse team wrapped up Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play with a decisive 20-4 victory over Fitchburg State University on Thursday afternoon at Elliot Field.
The Bears improve to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in the MASCAC, while the host Falcons fall to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in conference play. Bridgewater State is now 19-1 all-time versus the Falcons as the two teams first met back in 2008. The four goals allowed marked a season-low for the Bears.
Junior attack Katherine Tracy (Marion, Mass.) paced Bridgewater State with five goals and an assist, while senior midfielder Emily Hiller (Marion, Mass.) checked in with three goals and a pair of helpers, and junior attack Katie Swart (Bridgewater, Mass.) potted a career-high three goals. The Bears also received two goals and an assist from senior midfielder Kelsi Brennan (Dedham, Mass.) and two goals from sophomore midfielder Katie O'Brien (Pembroke, Mass.).
Bridgewater scored the first eight goals of the game, led 13-2 at the break and got up by as many as 16 goals in the second half including the final score of 20-4.
Senior defender Taylor Carroll (Carver, Mass.), junior attack Lily Carson (Medford, Mass.), freshman attack Savannah Herrington (Kinnelon, N.J.), freshman midfielder Katherine Wrona (Belchertown, Mass.) and junior midfielder Lindsay Brown (East Longmeadow, Mass.) also scored for Bridgewater State with Brown dishing out a pair of assists and Herrington notching one helper.
The Bears held a decided 48-10 shot advantage for the game as well as an edge in both draw controls (17-7) and ground balls (28-15). BSU also went 5-for-7 on free position attempts.
Brennan and Hiller led all players with seven draw controls apiece. Junior midfielder Delaney Langton (Scituate, R.I.) corralled a game-best five ground balls, while Brennan notched four ground balls including the 100th of her career.
BSU sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Kerrigan (Braintree, Mass.) made five saves over the first 30 minutes to record her third win of the season. Freshman Laura Giovaniello (Walpole, Mass.) played the final 30 minutes between the pipes for the Bears.
Sophomore netminder Francesca Reyes (Malden, Mass.) turned aside 17 shots in goal for the Falcons.
Sophomore attack Mackenzie Ullrich (Oakdale, Conn.), junior midfielder Julia Miele (South Hadley, Mass.), senior defender Jillian Whalen (South Hadley, Mass.) and sophomore midfielder Brooke Johnson (Billerica, Mass.) each scored for Fitchburg State.
Up Next: The two teams will meet again in a non-conference matchup on Saturday morning at 11:00 AM from BSU's Swenson Field. The game will mark the regular season finale for the Bears.