By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- They have been teammates since the 2022 Bridgewater State University lacrosse season, combining for 284 goals and 133 assists.

Seniors Camryn Gonsalves (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.) are first and second in goals, assists and points for the Bears over the last four years.

They were both named to the All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference first team as juniors after being on the all-conference second team as sophomores.

Gonsalves, an attack, has registered 148 goals, 91 assists and 239 points in her 67 career games while McIntyre, a midfielder, has 136 goals, 42 assists and 178 points in 71 games.

There are a number of reasons for their success while at BSU, and one of them is the way Gonsalves and McIntyre work together.

They started forming a connection in the 2023 season when the duo became full-time starters as sophomores, and that connection has only grown since.

Gonsalves and McIntyre form a potent offensive force for BSU.

"I think they both kind of understand how each other plays and they understand the game and how defenses defend them," said Bears coach Erica Adams. "They've kind of built a connection from (early on) and it's just gotten better and better.

"When you've been around someone almost four years, you're able to make that connection over time."

There have been plenty of times over the past two seasons when Gonsalves and McIntyre have assisted on one another's goals.

That helped McIntyre score a team-leading 60 goals as a junior in 2024, third-best in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, and helped Gonsalves register a conference best 65 goals this season.

Fourth-seeded BSU (14-4) is in the semifinal round of the MASCAC tournament and will play at top-seeded Worcester State (11-6) on Thursday at 6 p.m.

"It's been great," said Gonsalves, who has 40 assists and leads the MASCAC with 105 points. "I feel like me and Erin, once we started playing a lot, I felt like we had the same mindset on the field.

"We push ourselves as hard as we can. We always connect on the field because we just have that same mentality. We have played with each other for so long now that I feel like I just look up and Mac is always there or I can just find her on the field.

"I feel like we both know how each other plays and what we're both looking to do. Sometimes I feel like I can just throw the ball in and she's just there whatever direction I throw it."

McIntyre appeared in 18 games as a freshman, starting 11, and had nine goals. Gonsalves started just one game and played sparingly in 12 games that first year.

But both were in the starting lineup in 2023 with Gonsalves scoring 30 goals with 15 assists and McIntyre getting 27 goals and six assists.

"Sophomore year we were living in the same dorm, doing things together," said McIntyre. "We realized in the fall how well we worked together.

"We knew what the other person was going to do before they were even thinking about it. Building that connection off the field really helped transition on the field.

"It's someone you can look at and rely on, not that I can't rely on everyone else on the team. But we know what the other person is already going to do. We have that trust that I know if I throw the ball into space, she's going to be there to get it and vice versa."

Gonsalves' 105 points this season are the second-highest total ever by a BSU player, behind only Shannon Manning (120 in 2010).

She ranks seventh in career assists with 91, 11th in career goals with 148, ninth in goals in a season with 65 and ninth in assists in a season with 40.

McIntyre, who began her career on defense before moving to the midfield, is 16th in career goals with 136 and 17th in points with 178. She is second in career draw controls with 275 and fifth in the MASCAC this season with 70.

There has been a lot of production from Gonsalves and McIntyre, who both started playing lacrosse in the fourth grade.

"They've both put in a lot of work," said Adams. "I think they recognize that work is coming to fruition and being showcased on the field. Credit goes all to them for the work they've put in outside of our practices to be able to produce as much as they have."

Once McIntyre moved from defense to the midfield, her numbers on offense increased with a 60-goal performance last season.

"Just working on my shot placement, just watching film and seeing how the people in front of me (as an underclassman) played and what they did to make themselves successful and learning from them when I was a freshman," said McIntyre.

Gonsalves is having the best season of her time at BSU and recorded a career-best eight assists in the tournament opener against Salem State on Tuesday afternoon.

"I pushed myself even harder this year," said Gonsalves. "I'd go to the gym four days a week, shoot for an hour and run on the other days. I made sure I did everything I possibly could before the season to be the best I could in my senior year.

"I want to win a MASCAC championship, so I wanted to make sure I did what I could for my team. I want to achieve everything I can as a senior and have the best last year."

The Bears are two wins away from the conference title and a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament, something that hasn't happened since 2016.

"It would just make everything so worth it, all of the tears, the injuries, the late nights, the soreness, everything," said McIntyre. "Knowing all the work we've done was worth it in the end."