BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Sophomore forward Lexi James (Ipswich, Mass.) netted her first collegiate hat trick to lead the Bridgewater State University field hockey team to a decisive 5-0 victory over Anna Maria College on Thursday night at Mazzaferro Field.

The Bears improve to 2-1-1 on the season with the win, while the visiting AMCATS fall to 1-4. The two teams have met each of the last 12 seasons with Bridgewater State holding a slight 7-5 advantage during that stretch. Anna Maria had won each of the last three meetings.

Senior forward Zoe Bergeron (Blackstone, Mass.) had a golden opportunity to open the scoring for the Bears but was stopped on a penalty stroke attempt with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter. Less than three minutes later, however, BSU freshman midfielder Madison Ellis (Attleboro, Mass.) blasted a shot from the top of the circle past a screened Anna Maria netminder and inside the right post for her second goal of the season.

James potted her first goal of the 2023 campaign with 1:25 showing on the first quarter clock to extend the BSU lead to 2-0. James one-timed a bouncing pass from sophomore midfielder Kenzie Roy (Southwick, Mass.) that eluded the keeper and found its way into the back of the net.

James made it a 3-0 game midway through the second quarter with her second strike of the evening. She collected a loose ball following a crossing pass from graduate forward Jordyn Perry (Nantucket, Mass.) and ripped a backhander into the right side of the cage.

Perry converted off a penalty corner with 5:59 remaining in the third quarter as she scored off the rebound of an Emelia Westwater (So., Attleboro, Mass.) shot. The goal marked Perry's first of the season.

James completed the hat trick with just 50 second left in the third quarter. A long crossing pass from senior midfielder Charlotte McElroy (Carver, Mass.) from well outside the circle eluded several defenders and found James stationed all alone at the left post. James corralled the pass and deposited a shot into the unguarded net to put the finishing touches on the 5-0 win.

Bridgewater finished with a decided 31-5 shot advantage as well as a 7-2 edge in penalty corner attempts.

Three BSU goaltenders combined on the shutout with sophomore Catherine Daoulas (Marshfield, Mass.) playing the first 30 minutes to notch her first collegiate win. Freshman Kailey Hutchinson (Attleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Katie Lamothe (North Dartmouth, Mass.) each played a quarter in the second half with Lamothe recording the Bears' lone save of the game.

Graduate Hannah Tobey (Falmouth, Mass.) and freshman Carly Dedrick (Manchester, N.H.) split the game between the pipes for the AMCATS. Tobey made nine saves while Dedrick turned aside five shots.

The Bears open Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play on Saturday when they travel to Salem State University to take on the Vikings at 11:00 AM. The AMCATS head to Saint Joseph's College on Saturday for a noontime Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup with the Monks.