By Joshua Kummins, Daily Item (Lynn)
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Allie Forman has had different head coaches in her first three seasons on the Bridgewater State University women’s lacrosse team.
Despite the trials and tribulations of the consistent change, the Marblehead native and her Bears will appear in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season after winning the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) title for the fourth time.
Forman has worked well with new head coach Erica Adams ― a collegiate goalkeeper herself at Nichols ― and their relationship has helped achieve success.
“She has been wonderful this year,” Forman said of her latest new coach. “She’s done such great things with our program, and our chemistry is great. I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”
Forman, a junior, led the Bears to victories in each of their last five games, including a dramatic 11-10 overtime win in Saturday’s MASCAC title game at Westfield State. She made 13 saves in her eventual 30th collegiate win, including one just 19 seconds into overtime.
The Bears will face New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference champion Springfield College in their opening NCAA game Saturday in Lewiston, Maine, with the winner advancing to play host Bates the following day.
Forman, who went 11-9 with 193 saves in 20 starts last season, is the only primary goalkeeper the Bears have on this year’s roster. She has started all but one of Bridgewater’s games and ranks second in the MASCAC with a 54.0 save percentage.
Being the lone player whose primary position is in between the pipes has been a unique situation for Forman, especially in her first season starting. But it forced her to develop more confidence quicker.
“You can always improve, but I definitely feel like I’ve worked pretty hard to be in this position,” Forman said. “It is tough since I am the only goalie. If you mess up, you’ve just got to have a short-term memory and stay in the game. You need to be confident and be a voice on the field.”
In order for any team to have success, the goalkeeper has to remain strong no matter the situation.
Adams has seen steady growth in Forman’s game throughout the season as she, and the team, played their best over the season’s final weeks. Forman helped anchor a defense that ranks a close third to Westfield State and Fitchburg State, allowing an average of just 8.83 goals per-game.
“Allie has certainly been an intricate piece to our success,” Adams said. “She’s been, for the most part I would say, consistent from the beginning of the season until now. The same level of intensity and same type of work ethic, so I know she’ll be reliable.”
Forman and the Bears endured sets of back-to-back losses in late March and mid-April, but bounced back with five wins in a row and six in seven games to end the season. Her improvements were many and helped the Bears ascend to NCAA postseason play yet again.
“She’s definitely improved over the course of the year as far as her technical skills, footwork, hand-eye coordination, and tracking,” Adams said. “All those things that are important for a goalie.”
Winning the MASCAC title in Westfield was extra special for Forman and the Bears as they finished 6-1 in conference play this season. The only loss? To Westfield, in overtime.
“It was heartbreaking,” Forman said of the April 19 loss. “That just honestly made us want that trophy even more.”
Mission accomplished.