CASTLETON, Vt. -- Junior midfielder Megan Ryan scored her first two goals of the season to lead Castleton University to a 4-2 victory over Bridgewater State University in the first Little East Conference (LEC) home contest in program history.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 3-2 on the season and 2-0 in the Little East.
BSU junior midfielder Samantha Hayes potted a pair of goals for the visiting Bears who fall to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Castleton opened the scoring at the 20:08 mark when senior forward Sarah Wells knocked home a rebound following a penalty corner and put it in for her third goal of the season.
The Bears knotted it at 1-1 4:40 later also on a penalty corner when Hayes grabbed a loose ball in a scramble in front and shot it in into the back of the cage.
Ryan scored her first goal of the afternoon in the final minute of the first half to temporarily give the Spartans a lead when she backhanded a loose ball in a scrum following a corner.
Just 44 seconds into the second half, Hayes brought the ball in from midfield, evaded a defender, and placed a shot into the left side of the cage to tie the game again, this time at two. The goal marked her team leading fourth of the season and 28th of her collegiate career.
Ryan's second goal broke the tie and turned out to be the game-winner. After a turnover at midfield forced by junior defender Ellie Gevry, Ryan evaded one defender before drawing a foul. On the ensuing restart, she beat another defender and bounced a shot just inside the right post from 13 yards out.
Just over two minutes later, sophomore midfielder Allison Lowell smacked a centering pass to junior forward Cydney Jeffrey who deflected it in for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Junior Tashia Pashby-Rockwood earned her third win in goal for the Spartans with five saves. BSU senior netminder Allison Chappell made 15 saves for the Bears.
Castleton outshot Bridgewater State, 36-12, and held a decided 16-5 advantage in penalty corners.
Both teams are back in action on Wednesday. Castleton travels to Colby-Sawyer for a non-conference matchup with the Chargers at four o'clock, while Bridgewater State entertains Little East foe Western Connecticut State University at seven.
Notes: Hayes moved into eighth place on the Bears' all-time goal scoring list. She passed former standout Kathy McGough who scored 27 goals from 1986 to 1989.... Hayes also increased her career total to 68 points as she tied McGough and Ashley Panzini (2004-2007) for seventh place on the Bears' all-time scoring list.