By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University lacrosse team improved to 7-1 by defeating the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for the first time on Wednesday night.

Bridgewater, playing its first game since returning from Hilton Head, S.C., held off Coast Guard, 12-11, at Mazzaferro Field.

Senior Camryn Gonsalves (East Bridgwater, Mass.) tallied three goals, including what proved to be the game-winner, and also added an assist for the hosts. Gonsalves entered the evening ranked among the top 15 in all of Division III in both goals and points.

Junior Meredith Sylvia (Dartmouth, Mass.) also scored three goals and senior Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.) contributed two goals and three assists while freshman goalkeeper Sara Skaff (Lowell, Mass.) made a clutch save with time running out in BSU's third straight win.

Coast Guard had been 5-0 against Bridgewater in a series that began in 2019.

The game was tied, 5-5, after one period and Coast Guard took an 8-5 lead early in the second period before BSU scored five goals in a four-minute span for a 10-8 halftime lead.

Coast Guard (2-3) pulled even at 10-10 early in the second half before Bridgewater scored two goals in a row for a 12-10 lead, and BSU held on for another victory.

Freshman Sophia Fleurent (Fairhaven, Mass.) also scored multiple goals for the hosts.

Skaff improved to 6-1 by making 12 saves, including the key stop when Coast Guard was trying to tie the game with about a minute left. It marked the the third time this season that Skaff finished with double-digit saves.

Junior Isabella Judge (Buffalo, N.Y.) and senior Caitlyn Coates (Hanover, Pa.) led the Coast Guard offense with three goals each.

Bridgewater fell behind, 3-0, in the opening 4:47 when senior Laine Weber (Granite Bay, Calif.), Judge and junior Hannah Warnke (Lincoln, Neb.) scored for Coast Guard.

Sylvia and Gonsalves cut the margin to 3-2, scoring 55 seconds apart, before Judge put Coast Guard up, 4-2.

BSU tied it on goals by Gonsalves and Fleurent and Coast Guard's Katharine Rott (Severna Park, Md.), and Sylvia traded goals in the final 1:34.

Coates scored twice and junior Abby McAllister (Pleasantville, N.Y.) had a goal to give Coast Guard the 8-5 lead 3:47 into the second period, but BSU netted five goals in a row.

McIntyre scored with 5:41 left in the half followed by Herrington (4:42), Fleurent (4:31), Sylvia (3:33) and graduate student Riley Bina (Abington, Mass.), who scored at 1:41. McIntyre assisted on the final three goals of the first half.

After the two teams combined for 18 goals in the first half, both defenses stepped up over the final 30 minutes. 

Coates and Judge tied the game by scoring 34 seconds apart early in the second half before McIntyre put BSU back up, 11-10, with 3:29 left in the third period.

Gonsalves netted the Bears' final goal with 7:16 left in the game, converting off the free position. Coast Guard had a goal called back due to an illegal stick with 5:16 showing on the fourth-quarter scoreboard. The call would loom large as Weber scored for the visitors with 1:25 remaining to cut the deficit to 12-11.

Freshman Ella Campbell (Foxborough, Mass.) won the ensuing draw for Coast Guard (her fifth draw control of the evening), and Coates had a quality scoring chance with just under a minute remaining, but Skaff came up with the clutch save and Bridgewater was able to run out the clock.

BSU finished with a 16-11 edge in draw controls with Sylvia leading all players with seven draw controls and McIntyre corralling five. Mcintyre moved into sole possession of second place on the Bears' all-time list as she now has 244 draw controls in her career.

Coast Guard held a slight 32-31 advantage in shots in an evenly played contest.

Bridgewater went 15-for-19 in clear attempts while Coast Guard converted 16 of 20 clears.

BSU travels to Boston on Saturday for a 3 p.m. games against Emmanuel while Coast Guard is at MIT for a noon game on Saturday.