By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University lacrosse team broke new ground with its first NCAA Division 3 tournament victory last spring.
After getting knocked out in the opening round during six previous trips, the Bears defeated Saint Joseph’s of Maine, 16-9.
“It was an exciting moment for our program,’’ said senior Lauren Geary, who ranks third all-time at BSU with 224 goals and is tied for fifth with 294 points. “We’ve worked so hard and all the people before us did, too.’’
Now, the Bears would like to keep making progress as they appear in the NCAA tourney for a seventh consecutive season this weekend.
BSU (12-5 with five straight wins) plays Springfield College (14-5) in Lewiston, Maine, on Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner advances to the second round Sunday against host Bates College.
The Bears earned an automatic berth by edging Westfield State, 11-10, in overtime for the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title last Saturday.
That kept BSU’s streak of making the NCAAs alive, a string that began in 2010 when it was a member of the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance. Before that, the Bears had made the NCAAs only in 2003.
“The players take a lot of pride in it,’’ said first-year coach Erica Adams. “They (upperclassmen) have been the driving force behind it. They’ve been the glue that has kept it rolling over the last four years.
“Without them, they wouldn’t necessarily be in that position. It’s a legacy they want to carry on. The underclassmen quickly learn that’s something they have to get on board with.’’
BSU is led by Geary, the MASCAC player of the year who has 56 goals and 21 assists. A four-time all-conference selection, Geary owns the NCAA Division 3 career record for draw controls.
Joining Geary on the all-conference first team are Melissa Renauld (45 goals, 28 assists) and MASCAC rookie of the year Elizabeth Ettridge (31 goals, 12 assists).
BSU’s representatives on the second team include defender Mariah McKenna, Marissa Yowell (44 goals) and Alex King (32 goals, 43 assists).
“Our strength is that we’re a pretty balanced team offensively,’’ said Adams. “We don’t really rely heavily on one person.
“On the defensive side, we really pride ourselves on limiting shots with grit and toughness. It’s hard to say there’s one specific strength. It’s the depth we have and the skill we have at every position.’’
Springfield is making its first NCAA tourney appearance since 2013 after winning the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference tourney.
Springfield and BSU had three common opponents in the regular season with the Pride defeating Mount Holyoke, Western New England and Plymouth State while the Bears were 1-2 against them, defeating Mount Holyoke.