BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's lacrosse team outlasted visiting Framingham State University, 16-13, on Saturday evening in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) affair at Swenson Field.
The Bears improve to 8-7 on the season and 3-2 in the MASCAC, while the Rams fall to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Bridgewater State snapped a six-game losing skid against the defending MASCAC Tournament champion Rams. The Bears now hold a 10-6 lead in the all-time series.
Sophomore attack Camryn Gonsalves (East Bridgewater, Mass.) recorded a game-high seven points on four goals and three assists to go along with three ground balls to lead Bridgewater State to the victory.
The game featured six ties over the first 36 minutes of the contest. The Bears led 8-7 at the break as 12 different players scored in the first half.
Goals by Framingham junior attack Madison Skiff (Granby, Conn.) and junior midfielder Regan Fein (North Attleboro, Mass.) sandwiched around a Gonsalves marker knotted the scored at 9-9 with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter. Gonsalves then converted off the free position while sophomore midfielder Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.) and senior midfielder Katie O'Brien (Pembroke, Mass.) followed with unassisted tallies to give the hosts a 12-9 lead. Rams' sophomore attack Hailey Baker (Peabody, Mass.) found the back of the next off the free position to make it a 12-10 game at the end of three.
Freshman midfielder Meredith Sylvia (South Dartmouth, Mass.) scored off a nice feed from senior midfielder Delaney Langton (Scituate, R.I.), and graduate midfielder Hayley Carron (Hopedale, Mass.) set up an O'Brien strike as the Bears opened up a 14-10 advantage less than 3 ½ minutes into the fourth quarter. A player-advantage goal by Skiff with junior midfielder Rachel Erickson (Dunstable, Mass.) collecting the assist pulled the visitors to within three (14-11) with 9:29 showing on the scoreboard. But junior attack Savannah Herrington (Kinnelon, N.J.) answered for Bridgewater State less than a minute later as she buried a free position shot to reclaim the four-goal lead. Gonsalves notched her fourth goal of the evening off an assist from Carron with 2:57 left to play to seal the victory for the Bears. Framingham State junior attack Hannah Guerin (Cumberland, R.I.) scored twice in span of just 19 seconds later in the period to account for the final score of 16-13.
O'Brien and Sylvia checked in with three goals apiece for the Bridgewater State, while McInture notched two goals and a helper and Herrington potted a pair of goals. McIntyre also filled the stat sheet with four ground balls, five draw controls and four caused turnovers.
Guerin tallied four goals for the Rams who also received three goals from Skiff as well as two goals and a pair of assists from Fein. Fein added two ground balls, three draw controls and a caused turnover. Sophomore midfielder Molly Lanier (Tyngsboro, Mass.) contributed two goals and a team-high five draw controls for the visitors.
The Bears held a decided 44-24 shot advantage for the game as well as a 21-12 edge in draw controls. Senior midfielder Haley Wood (Middleboro, Mass.) led all players with a career-high ten draw controls. Wood, McIntyre, and Langton combined for 19 of the Bears' 21 draw controls.
BSU senior goalkeeper Olivia Kerrigan (Braintree, Mass.) turned aside six shots to record her fifth win of the season. Classmate Alexis Burleigh (Vernon, Conn.) was very busy between the pipes for Framingham State as she made 19 saves.
Up Next: The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Tuesday night at seven. The Bears entertain Massachusetts Maritime Academy, while the Rams host Worcester State University.