BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Five Bridgewater State University student-athletes have been voted to the 2017 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Soccer All-Conference Team by the league's head coaches.
Senior forward Courtney Pepin (Uxbridge, Mass.), junior defender Molly Shield (Mansfield, Mass.) and senior midfielder Nicole Simas (Dartmouth, Mass.) garnered All-MASCAC First Team honors, while sophomore defender Kaitlyn Bongarzone (Mansfield, Mass.) and senior goalkeeper Lauren DeSousa (Taunton, Mass.) were named to the All-MASCAC Second Team.
Pepin and DeSousa are both making their third appearance on the All-MASCAC Team, while Shield, Simas and Bongarzone are first time honorees. Pepin was named to the second team in 2014 and 2016, while DeSousa earned second team accolades in 2015 and first team honors last season.
A native of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, Pepin tallied a career-high ten goals to go along with three assists for a career-high 23 points in 2017. She is currently tied for the MASCAC lead in game-winning goals (4) and ranks third in both goals and scoring.
Pepin played and started all 76 games in her four seasons with the Bears as she produced 19 goals, including seven game-winners, to go along with 13 assists for 51 career points. Pepin ranks ninth among the Bears' all-time scoring leaders with her 51 points.
Simas notched ten goals and 20 points in 16 games this season. The Dartmouth, Massachusetts product is tied for third in the MASCAC in goals, tied for fifth in scoring and tied for sixth in game-winning goals (3).
In 35 games over two seasons with the Bears, Simas finished with 26 points as she potted 13 goals with five game-winners.
Shield and Bongarzone anchored an outstanding BSU defensive unit which limited opponents to just 6.7 shots on goal per game and helped produce seven shutouts and a team goals against average of 0.98. As a team, the Bears ranked second in the MASCAC in shutouts and third in goals against average.
Bongarzone started all 19 games this season and finished with a goal and six assists, while Shields appeared in 17 games with 16 starts and recorded an assist.
DeSousa started all 19 games this season between the pipes and posted a 1.01 goals against average with 106 saves and a .848 save percentage in 1,700 minutes (1700:27) of work. The Taunton, Massachusetts product also picked up 12 wins and registered 6 1/2 shutouts.
DeSousa currently leads the MASCAC in wins, ranks second in minutes played, save percentage and shutouts, and is third overall in both saves and goals against average.
In 56 games over her three seasons with the Bears, DeSousa posted a career 0.89 goals against average with 294 saves, a .852 save percentage, 29 wins and 24 shutouts. She leaves Bridgewater State as the program's all-time leader in goals against average and shutouts, and is also second all-time in wins and third in both games played and minutes played (5135:43).
The BSU women's soccer team wrapped up the 2017 campaign with an overall record of 12-6-1 and captured a share of the MASCAC regular season title with a 6-1 conference mark. Seeded third in the MASCAC Tournament, the Bears downed #6 Framingham State University, 4-1, in the tournament quarterfinal round before being eliminated on penalty kicks in a 1-1 tie against #2 seed Westfield State University in the semifinals.