By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University field hockey team was handed its second straight loss on Tuesday night.
The Bears were defeated by Wheaton College, 4-2, at Mazzaferro Field in their final non-conference game of the season.
BSU drops to 7-9 while the Lyons improved to 9-8 after the teams met for the first time since 2019.
Junior Raegen Perry (Nantucket, Mass.) and freshman Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.) had the goals for the Bears.
Junior Riley Levrault (Lakeville, Mass.) had a pair of goals and an assist for Wheaton while freshman Kelsey Thompson (North Attleboro, Mass.) dished out a pair of assists.
The Lyons held a 2-1 lead after one period and added single goals in the third and fourth periods.
Wheaton opened the scoring at 9:45 when Levrault took possession in front of the net, turned and fired a shot for the goal.
BSU tied it at 12:21 on Perry's fourth goal of the season.
Sophomore Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) moved in close, getting to the right side of the net where she passed in front, and Perry converted into a wide open net.
Just over a minute later, the Lyons went back up with freshman Kayla Wilonski (Wallingford, Conn.) scoring from Thompson at 13:27.
On a third consecutive penalty corner in a span of 28 seconds, Wilonski scored on a shot from the left side.
The score remained 2-1 until Wheaton netted a goal with 5:29 remaining in the third period.
Senior Delia Knox (Cumberland, Maine), assisted by Levrault, potted her seventh goal of the season to give the visitors a two-goal cushion. Levrault received a pass stationed near the left post and slipped a pass to Knox in front of the net who deposited a shot into the right side.
BSU came right back to make it 3-2 just 25 seconds later when Souza found the back of the cage, assisted by freshman Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.).
Rose delivered a crossing pass that eluded multiple defenders and founf the stick of Souza who spun around and fired a backhander inside the left post.
Wheaton capped off the scoring with just 52 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on Levrault's team-leading ninth goal of the season, assisted by Thompson.
The goal came after a penalty corner on a scramble in front of the net.
Lyons sophomore goalkeeper Grace Ferguson (Williston, Vt.) made five saves in recording the win.
BSU junior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) had seven saves.
Souza now leads the Bears with nine goals and 21 points in her first season. Zuber has a team-best nine assists and is second with 19 points.
BSU will be right back at Mazzaferro Field on Wednesday night to play Westfield State University at 7 p.m. in the final home game.
Wheaton will be at home on Saturday at noon against Smith College.