By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team celebrated Senior Day with its fifth consecutive victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Bears scored all of their goals in the second half to defeat the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 3-0, at Mazzaferro Field.
Senior Sydney Dewhurst (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had a goal and an assist as BSU improved to 8-3-2 and 4-0-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The Bears are 5-0 in October and are riding their first five-game winning streak since Oct 10-26, 2019.
Prior to the game, the Bears honored seniors Tori Gemellaro (Wilmington, Mass.), Alexis Vanderzeyde (Middleboro, Mass.), Mia Chrisafideis (Marlborough, Mass.), Cheyenne Nelson (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Tristen Gomes (Middleboro, Mass.), Bailey Brown (Plymouth, Mass.) and Sydney Sousa (Dartmouth, Mass.).
BSU improved to 16-0 against the Buccaneers in a series that began in 2008. Mass. Maritime is now 2-7-2 and 1-4 in the MASCAC.
Gemellaro, making her fourth career start and second this season, made four saves to record the shutout.
Now 2-0 this season and 3-1 in her career, including two solo shutouts, Gemellaro sprawled to make a diving save off a shot labeled for inside the left post by sophomore Ayla Santoro (Attleboro, Mass.) in the 36th minute to keep the game scoreless.
Gemellaro made a leaping save after BSU had scored the game's first goal. Santoro drove the ball to the center of the Bears' net and her shot was knocked off the crossbar by Gemellaro.
The keeper then dove on the ball as freshman Lizzy Kinnane (Fall River, Mass.) tried to line up a rebound shot.
After a scoreless first half, the Bears took a 1-0 lead at 59:15 when junior Olivia Robarge (Pepperell, Mass.) scored from graduate student Emily McCormack (East Bridgewater, Mass.).
A shot by Robarge outside the 18 on the right side was mishandled and rolled into the net. Robarge now has a team-best nine goals and is tied for the team lead with 21 points.
The lead went to 2-0 at 73:56 when Dewhurst netted an unassisted goal, her sixth score of the season.
Dewhurst, who is tied with Robarge with 21 points, took a pass near midfield, dribbled by four defenders all the way inside the 18 and slipped a shot from 12 yards out that went by the goalkeeper.
The final goal came at 89:57 when Chrisafidies scored from Dewhurst.
Five seconds were put back on the clock, and off a restart, a cross by Dewhurst went to Chrisafidies, who scored inside the far post for her second goal of the season.
Dewhurst now has 56 points (19G, 18A) in her BSU career as she moved into sole possession of 11th place on the Bears' all-time scoring list.
BSU outshot Mass. Maritime, 29-4, and had a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal and corner kicks (11-0).
Buccaneers senior keeper Reagan Kerecz (Tolland, Conn.) made 11 saves in the setback.
BSU will be in Medford Tuesday at 6 p.m. to face Tufts University, ranked No. 21 in the national Division 3 poll.
The next MASCAC game is Saturday at noon at Westfield State in a battle of the only undefeated teams in the conference. The Owls are 5-0, just ahead of the Bears at 4-0-1.
