By Jim Fenton
FITCHBURG, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University field hockey team has advanced to a conference championship game for the first time since 2010.
The fifth-seeded Bears upset top-seeded Fitchburg State University, 1-0, at Elliot Field on Thursday night, moving them into the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
BSU will be on the road for a third tourney game in a row when it faces top-seeded Westfield State University on Saturday evening (5:00 PM) for the championship and a spot in the NCAA Division 3 tourney.
The Bears (10-10) reached double figures in wins for the first time since going 11-7 in 2016.
A pair of sophomores -- Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) from Madison Ellis (Attleboro, Mass.) -- combined for the game's lone goal in the first period.
Junior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) earned her third shutout of the season for BSU.
Fitchburg State (10-9) finished first in the regular season with an 8-2 record and defeated the Bears twice.
The last time BSU made it to a title game was in the Little East tournament 14 years ago. The Bears lost to UMass Dartmouth, 3-1, on Nov. 7, 2010.
The Bears have been playing field hockey in the MASCAC for two seasons after moving from the Little East.
Zuber's goal came just 5:39 into the game as she redirected a shot while in front of the net. Ellis had sent the ball in from the right side from well outside the circle for her second assist of the season.
The goal gives Zuber the team lead in points with 28 and she is second with nine goals.
Fitchburg appeared to have tied the game with 4:14 remaining in the second quarter as the Falcons were awarded a penalty stroke after BSU senior defender Noelle Cornetta (Hanson, Mass.) saved a sure goal. Junior Samantha Yates (Woodstock, Vt.) buried the stroke attempt into the top left corner of the net, but the goal was waved off by the official.
Gagnon finished with seven saves to backstop the Bears to the shutout victory.
The Falcons had a 12-10 edge in shots and the Bears held a 9-7 advantage in shots on goal. Bridgewater also finished with an 8-3 edge in penalty corner attempts.
Fitchburg State had not been shut out since losing to Clark University, 1-0, in overtime on Sept. 7.
Falcons senior goalkeeper Jenna Morse (Leominster, Mass.) stopped eight shots. Junior Lexi James (Ipswich, Mass.) led BSU with three shots on goal while Zuber and Raegen Perry (Nantucket, Mass.) had two each.
BSU opened the tournament with a 4-1 win at fourth-seeded Framingham State on Tuesday night, the program's first postseason win since defeating Worcester State in the quarterfinal round of the Little East tourney in 2016.
The Bears finished with a 4-6 MASCAC record this season, four games behind the first-place Falcons.
Fitchburg State defeated BSU twice, 5-0, on Oct. 12 in Bridgewater and 4-2 last Saturday. In that game, the Bears cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 in the second half.
BSU split the season series with Saturday's championship round opponent, second-seeded Westfield State. The Bears lost on the road, 4-0, Oct. 5 and won at home, 5-0, on Oct. 30.