BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior midfielder Allyson Pontes (Dartmouth, Mass.) tallied a pair of goals to lead the Bridgewater State University women's soccer team to a 3-1 win over visiting Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest on Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.
The Bears improve to 9-4 on the season and remain unbeaten in MASCAC play with a 5-0 conference mark. The Falcons slip to 2-12 overall and 0-4 in the MASCAC.
Pontes converted a breakaway opportunity in the eighth minute to give the Bears the early 1-0 lead. After corralling a long volley, Pontes beat a defender and slipped a shot past the keeper and inside the near post for her first collegiate goal.
Despite being out played for the majority of the opening stanza, Fitchburg tied the game at 1-1 with just 52 seconds showing on the scoreboard. Sophomore forward Danyel Stone (Webster, Mass.) made a great run down the right side and sent a cross into the goal box to freshman forward Jessica Hall (Lowell, Mass.) who easily beat the BSU netminder with a one-timer inside the far post.
Bridgewater held a 13-6 shot advantage over the first 45 minutes as well as a 13-1 edge in corner kicks.
Junior forward Marissa Yowell (Ashland, Mass.) hit the post in the 22nd minute, while freshman midfielder Kellsie Mitchell (Bristol, R.I.) rang one off the cross bar in the 41st minute. Yowell also sailed a shot over the crossbar just 53 seconds into the contest.
Fitchburg junior goaltender Morgan Steele (Somerset, Mass.) made five saves in the first half including three key stops. Steele made a leaping save and knocked the ball over the crossbar on a restart shot by BSU senior defender Allison LeBel (Millis, Mass.) in the fifth minute. Steele also stopped a shot from 40 yards out by senior defender Olivia Planty (Litchfield, N.H.) in the 23rd minute that was labeled for the left side of the net. With ten minutes remaining in the stanza, Steele turned back junior midfielder Drew Guay (Fall River, Mass.) who was all alone in front of the net.
Pontes put the Bears back on top midway through the second half with her second goal of the game. After a Fitchburg defender miss-hit a clearance pass, Pontes struck the ball out of midair and flicked a shot over the keeper's head.
Less than eight minutes later, freshman midfielder Melissa Morton (Uxbridge, Mass.) put the finishing touches on the Bears' victory as she tallied her first collegiate goal. Morton collected a short touch pass from Yowell inside the box and buried a shot into the right side of the net from ten yards out.
The Bears finished with decided advantages in both shots (25-9) and corner kicks (17-1).
BSU sophomore netminder Lauren DeSousa (Taunton, Mass.) turned aside four shots to record her ninth win of the season. Senior Kristin Reardon (Weymouth, Mass.) got the start between the pipes and played the first 15 minutes, but did not see a shot. Steele made nine saves in the setback for the Falcons.
The Bears held Senior Day festivities prior to the game as LeBel, Planty and Reardon along with fellow seniors Carolyn Sessler (Plymouth, Mass.), Brooke Pacheco (Bristol, R.I.) and Hannah Capone (Fitchburg, Mass.) were honored.
Both teams are back in action on Wednesday evening with non-conference game. Bridgewater entertains Keene State College at seven, while Fitchburg travels to Eastern Connecticut State University for a six o'clock match.