BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – On the strength of three penalty corner goals, the UMass Dartmouth field hockey team edged host Bridgewater State University, 3-2, in Little East Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.
UMass improves to 8-6 on the season and 7-1 in the Little East while Bridgewater falls to 10-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The loss snaps the Bears' nine-game winning streak.
UMass junior defender Taryn Cardiel (Moorpark, Calif.) opened the scoring in the 15th minute as she found the back of the net on a long drive just inside the circle off the corner feed from junior forward Eleanor Taylor (Fairhaven, Mass.). Just over five minutes later, sophomore defender Victoria Dolce (Jamestown, R.I.) deflected home a shot by Cardiel to give the Corsairs the 2-0 lead which they would take into the intermission.
Bridgewater would storm right back to tie the game in the second half. First, junior midfielder Shelby Farland (Fiskdale, Mass.) scored on a penalty stroke just 2:14 into the stanza. A minute and 35 seconds later, classmate Megan Cullinane (Lunenburg, Mass.) notched the equalizer on breakaway goal as she was sent in alone off a long pass from Farland.
Taylor potted the game-winning goal for UMass in the 44th minute off an assist from freshman midfielder Anna Bohenberger (Falmouth, Mass.). Bohenberger slid a pass from the top of the circle onto the stick of Taylor who fired a close-range shot into the left side of the net.
Cardiel and Taylor paced the visitors with a goal and an assist apiece, while Farland finished with a goal and an assist for the host Bears.
UMass held a slight 10-9 advantage in shots as well as a 14-11 edge in penalty corners.
Sophomore Kelsey Gallo (East Greenwich, Conn.) made one save in goal for the Corsairs while BSU junior netminder Cassie Johansen (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) turned aside five shots.
The LEC schedule continues for Bridgewater on Wednesday night when the Bears travel to Salem State University for a six o'clock game with the Vikings. UMass hosts Little East foe Fitchburg State University on Wednesday evening at seven.