NEWPORT, R.I. – The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team received goals from five different players as the visiting Bears posted a 5-2 victory over Salve Regina University on Wednesday afternoon at Toppa Field.
The Bears improve to 3-2-1 on the season, while the host Seahawks fall to 3-2.
Senior midfielder Nicole Simas (Dartmouth, Mass.) and junior midfielder Allison Aldred (Saugus, Mass.) each tallied a goal and an assist to lead the way for Bridgewater State. Senior forward Taylor Loyd (Halifax, Mass.) and junior forward Emma Sanders (Seekonk, Mass.) and Tess Nagle (Pembroke, Mass.) also scored for the Bears.
Sanders opened the scoring just 94 seconds into the game as she found the back off the net off a nice feed from Simas. Simas slipped a pass between two defenders to Sanders on the right side of the 18. Sanders beat the Salve keeper with a shot inside the far post for her first goal of the season.
Nagle potted her first marker of the season in the 24th minute to make it a 2-0 game. Off a crossing pass from junior forward Amelia Burke (Plymouth, Mass.) that eluded the Salve keeper, Nagle outmuscled a defender near the goal line and tapped the ball in for her first goal of the season.
Just 32 seconds later, sophomore forward Jamie Robert (Holyoke, Mass.) redirected a cross from senior forward Abby McMackin (Walpole, Mass.) to cut the Seahawks' deficit to 2-1.
Simas headed home a long throw in from senior defender Kassidy Campbell (Norton, Mass.) in the 41st minute to extend the BSU advantage to 3-1. Simas' header just eluded the outstretched hand of the Salve netminder.
The Seahawks had a glorious chance to close the gap in the 44th minute, but freshman midfielder Emily Smith (New London, Conn.) was stopped on a penalty kick attempt by BSU junior goaltender Kellie Souza (Wilmington, Mass.). Smith also had a chance to knock home the rebound but her shot sailed well over the crossbar.
Back-to-back goals by Loyd and Aldred in the 74th minute just 36 seconds apart gave the Bears a commanding 5-1 lead. For Aldred, the scoring strike marked the first of her collegiate career.
McMackin found the back of the net with 1:23 remaining to close out the scoring.
Salve finished with a 22-18 shot advantage as well as a 7-2 edge in corner kick attempts.
Souza notched nine saves to record her third win of the season for the Bears. Senior Carly Pala (Milford, Conn.) turned aside seven shots in the setback freshman Madi Thiel (Ellington, Conn.) came on in relief of Pala with 4:49 remaining but did not face a shot.
Notes: Simas' goal marked her 15th in a BSU uniform.