FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team scored four first-half goals en route to a 4-1 victory over host Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest on Saturday morning at Elliot Field.
The visiting Bears improve to 5-2-1 on the season and 3-0 in the MASCAC with their fourth straight win. The Falcons fall to 2-6-1 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
The Bears opened the game with a quick score just two minutes into the match as freshman forward Delaney Langton (Scituate, Mass.) notched her first collegiate goal. Stationed near the right post, Langton knocked home the rebound of an Emma Sanders (Seekonk, Mass.) shot.
Sanders increased the BSU advantage to 2-0 in the ninth minute of play with her team-leading fourth goal of the season. Off a misplay, the junior forward ripped a low line drive into the right side of the net from 20 yards out.
Senior midfielder Nicole Simas (Dartmouth, Mass.) added her third of the season at the 13:51 mark to stake the Bears to a 3-0 lead. Simas found the right side of the net from six yards out off a crossing pass from junior forward Alana Vincent (Taunton, Mass.).
Langton added her second of the game in the 19th minute to make extend the Bears' advantage to four. Langton got behind the Fitchburg defense off a long pass from junior defender Kaitlyn Bongarzone (Mansfield, Mass.) and chipped it into the right side of the net from just outside the six.
Fitchburg freshman forward Elicia Marshall (Taunton, Mass.) delivered a blistering shot to the right corner post for her MASCAC leading seventh goal of the season for the only scoring of the second half.
Bridgewater held a 21-10 shot advantage as well as a slight 4-3 edge in corner kick attempts.
BSU junior netminder Kellie Souza (Wilmington, Mass.) made five saves for her fifth win of the season. Falcons' netminder Sarah Hemmings (Eastham, Mass.) posted 12 saves in the loss.
Both teams have non-conference games up next on their respective schedules. The Falcons host Clark University on Thursday afternoon at four, while the Bears entertain Roger Williams University on Tuesday night at seven.