BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team blanked visiting UMass Boston, 2-0, on Tuesday night at chilly Swenson Field.
The Bears improve to 6-5-4, while the win, while the Beacons fall to 3-12-2.
BSU junior goaltender Lauren DeSousa (Taunton, Mass.) turned aside six shots to record her eighth solo shutout of the season and 15th of her career.
Freshman forward Alana Vincent (Taunton, Mass.) got the Bears on the board a little over six minutes into the game. Following a short cross by junior forward Courtney Peppin (Uxbridge, Mass.), Vincent fired a shot from the top of the 18 that found its way into the left side of the net. The goal marked her team-leading sixth of the season.
Moments later, a well-placed shot off the foot of senior midfielder Amanda Leite (New Bedford, Mass.) from the right side was knocked over the cross bar by leaping UMass netminder Alyssa Fugiel (Easthampton, Mass.).
In the 16th minute, BSU junior forward Nicole Simas (Dartmouth, Mass.) corralled a failed clearance inside the 18 and deposited a shot inside the left post to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.
Bridgewater nearly increased the advantage to three in the 43rd minute as Simas lofted a shot from 30 yards out that skimmed the cross bar and came straight down near the goal line. The referee, however, ruled that the ball did not completely cross the line.
The Bears had a number of quality scoring opportunities in the second half. Sophomore forward Yasmina Teixeira's (Brockton, Mass.) shot from 25 yards out was knocked over the crossbar by Fugiel early in the stanza. In the 85th minute, Peppin dribbled in on the goalie one-on-one but was unable to convert. With the clock winding down, Vincent's shot from 20 yards out at the 88-minute mark was labeled for the top right corner but Fugiel was able to deflect it wide.
Bridgewater held a 32-12 shot advantage for the game as well as a 10-4 edge in corner kicks.
Fugiel finished with 17 saves on the evening.
Both teams wrap up regular season play on Saturday. Bridgewater entertains Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Worcester State University at noon. A win over the Lancers would give the Bears a share of the MASCAC regular season title. UMass hosts Little East Conference (LEC) foe Keene State College at 5:00 PM. The Beacons need a win over the Owls and some help to earn a spot in the Little East Tournament.