BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University men's soccer team posted a 3-1 victory over visiting Gordon College on Wednesday afternoon at Swenson Field.

The host Bears improve to 3-4-1 on the season with the win, while the Fighting Scots slip to 2-6-1.

All the scoring occurred in the first half as the Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the strength of goals by sophomore forward Steve McAvoy (Walpole, Mass.), senior forward Braima Samati (Boston, Mass.) and freshman midfielder Jeff Braverman (Framingham, Mass.).  Both McAvoy and Braverman tallied their first collegiate goals.

McAvoy opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game as he knocked home the rebound of a Samati shot.  The goal was set up by a cross from senior forward Simao Mendes (Brockton, Mass.).

Samati would give the hosts a two-goal advantage in the tenth minute as he headed the ball over the Gordon keeper off a long volley from junior defender Craig Shadduck (Braintree, Mass.).  Braverman staked the Bears to a 3-0 lead as he scored off the rebound of a Jose DePina (Boston, Mass.) shot in the 31st minute.

Junior forward Andrew Vandervoort (Memphis, Tenn.) got the Fighting Scots on the board less than a minute later with a shot that broke through BSU junior goaltender Matt Bagley (Braintree, Mass.) and trickled over the goal line. 

Bridgewater had two other glorious chances to add to their scoring in the opening stanza but were turned away on a pair of breakaways by Gordon junior netminder Tim Hardy (Gorham, Maine).  Hardy would finish with 11 saves on the afternoon.  The Fighting Scots also registered three team saves in the game.

Neither team would dent the scoreboard the rest of the way.  Bagley made two point-blank range stops in the second half, while Vandervoort stopped another breakaway attempt.  Bridgewater held a 26-11 shot advantage for the game and held a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.  The Bears were also flagged for ten offsides.

Bagley matched his season-high with seven saves.

In upcoming action, Bridgewater travels to Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Salem State University on Saturday afternoon for a three o'clock game with the Vikings.  Gordon entertains Commonwealth Coast Conference foe Nichols College on Saturday at 3:30.