BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior forward Ryan Della Penna (Enfield, Mass.) scored 2:54 into overtime to lift the Westfield State University men's soccer team to a 3-2 victory over visiting Bridgewater State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

The Owls improve to 2-5 on the season and 1-1 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 1-7-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Della Penna ran on to freshman Noel Powell's (Lee, Mass./Monument Mountain) cross early in the overtime session and buried it at the back post to lift the Owls to the win. 

Bridgewater rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second half to send the game into overtime. Sophomore forward Patrick Gildea (Bridgewater, Mass.) scored at the 76-minute mark and junior forward Kevin Roberts (Medway, Mass.) found the back of the net just 1:58 later to knot the score at 2-2. Gildea's scored off the rebound of his own saved shot for his first collegiate goal. Roberts's goal, his team-leading third of the season, came off an assist from junior midfielder Hatim Brahimi (Franklin, Mass.). Brahimi's shot deflected off of an Owls defender in a scrum in front of the net, and skipped to Roberts on the right side who slid a shot into the center of the net.

After a scoreless first half, junior forward Paul Soucy (Acushnet, Mass.) got the Owls on the board 3:44 into the second stanza with Della Penna picking up the assist. Junior midfielder Ryan Morais' (Uxbridge, Mass.) unassisted goal in the 62nd minute made it a 2-0 game.

The Bears held a slight 18-16 shot advantage for the game, while the Owls finished with a 6-3 edge in corner kick attempts.

Westfield junior goalkeeper Tyler Diotalevi (Ludlow, Mass.) made nine saves to pick up his second win of the season. Senior netminder Nate Morgado (Dartmouth, Mass.) turned aside four shots in the setback for the Bears.

Both teams are back in action next Tuesday afternoon at four. The Bears host Roger Williams University, while the Owls travel to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.