WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior defender Matt Dent (Ludlow, Mass.) tallied a pair of goals including the game-winner in the 104th minute to lift the Worcester State University men's soccer team to a 2-1 double overtime victory over visiting Bridgewater State University on Saturday night at Coughlin Field. The game marked the season finale for both teams.
Worcester improves to 10-6 on the season and 5-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) as the Lancers captured the MASCAC regular season title outright and a first round bye in next week's MASCAC Tournament.
The visiting Bears fall to 7-8-2 overall and 3-3-1 in conference play. Bridgewater is seeded fifth in the tournament and will travel to fourth-seeded MCLA on Tuesday evening for a six o'clock quarterfinal round game with the Trailblazers.
Following a scoreless first half, the Lancers put the first goal on the board in the 71st minute. Junior defender Eric Davis's (Hudson, Mass.) free kick from 55-yards out was stopped by BSU senior goalkeeper Colin Jepson (Sandwich, Mass.). Dent, however, corralled the loose ball and deposited a shot into the open net.
Worcester maintained the 1-0 advantage until late in the first half. With just 2:20 remaining, BSU senior midfielder Sawyer Fleck (Foxboro, Mass.) scored off the rebound of a Jameson Bradley(Westborough, Mass.) shot which rang off the post.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Dent buried his second goal of the night following a free kick from the right corner. Senior defender, Noah Phelps (Attleboro, Mass.) served the ball into the box and Dent headed it home for the game-winning tally.
Of the 30 shots between the two teams, only six were on frame. Junior goalkeeper Jason Barrett (Spencer, Mass.) turned aside two shots in the win for the Lancers, while Jepson made one save between the pipes for the Bears.
Worcester held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks throughout the contest.