BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Sophomore attack Ali Laferriere's (Tyngsboro, Mass.) free position goal with three seconds remaining in regulation lifted the visiting Fitchburg State University women's lacrosse team to a dramatic 12-11 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Bridgewater State University on Saturday morning at cold and snowy Swenson Field.
The Falcons improve to 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MASCAC, while the Bears slip to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The loss also snapped Bridgewater State's 57-game winning streak versus MASCAC opponents as the Bears had never lost to a MASCAC team in the history of the program.
Laferriere led a contingent of five two-goal scorers for Fitchburg State. Sophomore midfielder Andrea Comeau (Watertown, Mass.) and freshman midfielders Carrie Long (Foxboro, Mass.), Jaimee Lutz (Foxboro, Mass.) and Corinne DeSimone (Dennis, Mass.) also scored twice for the Falcons with Lutz adding an assist.
Junior attack Brianna Dunn (Monson, Mass.) paced the visitors with four points on the strength of a goal and three assists.
BSU junior attack Marissa Yowell (Ashland, Mass.) tallied four goals and an assist to lead the hosts. Yowell potted each of the Bears' first four goals as BSU led 4-1 seven minutes into the game.
After Lutz cut the deficit to 4-2 at the 19:59 mark, BSU sophomore attackers Melissa Renauld (Framingham, Mass.) and Alex King (Weymouth, Mass.) tallied back-to-back markers to increase the Bridgewater advantage to four (6-2) with 4:40 remaining.
However, Lutz and Dunn each found the back of the net in the final minute of the stanza to make it a 6-4 game at the intermission.
Early in the second half, a pair of tallies by BSU junior midfielder Lauren Geary (Hull, Mass.) were countered by goals from DeSimone and Long.
After Laferriere pulled the Falcons to within a goal, 8-7, at the 19:16 mark, King answered just over two minutes later to reclaim the Bears' two-goal advantage.
The Falcons, however, continued to turn up the pressure and tied the game on back-to-back goals from DeSimone and senior attack Lindsey White (Hanover, Mass.).
Sophomore midfielder Alex Lynch (Plainville, Mass.) put the Bears back on top with 7:36 left to play, but Comeau answered just 42 seconds later to knot the score at 10-10.
Comeau gave Fitcburg its first lead of the game with 4:29 remaining. Following a missed free position attempt by BSU, an exchange of four turnovers gave possession back to the Bears as the clock ticked under two minutes.
Following a foul, Renauld converted on the free position to tie the score at 11-11 with 1:35 showing on the scoreboard.
After a timeout, Fitchburg won the ensuing draw but then turned the ball over. The Bears, however, returned the favor to set up Laferriere's last-second heroics. With six seconds, remaining, Laferriere drew a foul and promptly converted on the free position attempt to give the Falcons the dramatic win.
In an evenly played game, Fitchburg held a 29-27 advantage in ground balls while Bridgewater had the 13-12 edge in draw controls. The two teams combined for 51 turnovers with 16 of those being unforced as the weather conditions may have been a contributing factor.
Renauld finished with two goals and two assists for the Bears, while Geary and King tallied two goals apiece. Senior attack Riley Cachelin (Westwood, Mass.) chipped in with a pair of assists.
Geary led all players with eight draw controls, while Laferriere and Long notched four apiece for the Falcons.
Junior netminder Elizabeth Darrigo (Billerica, Mass.) made ten saves to earn the win between the pipes for the visitors. Sophomore Allie Forman (Marblehead, Mass.) turned aside seven shots in the setback for the Bears.
The Bears are back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they travel Keene State College to take on the Owls at four. The Falcons head to New England College on Monday afternoon for a four o'clock game with the Pilgrims.