By Jim Fenton

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team has taken over first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bears won a showdown game with Westfield State University at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon, knocking the Owls from the top spot, 2-1.

BSU, which won the regular-season title a year ago, improved to 5-0-1 in the MASCAC while Westfield State is now 5-1-0.

The Bears can clinch the title and the top seed in the conference tournament with a win next Saturday at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the regular-season finale.

Westfield State had gone 8-0-2 in its previous 10 games and had not lost since falling to the University of Massachusetts Boston on Sept. 13.

Junior Olivia Robarge (Pepperell, Mass.) scored her team-best 11th goal with 15:59 remaining to break a 1-1 tie.

BSU coach Yasmina Carvalho recorded the 95th win of her career with the Bears. She is one away from tying the program record set by Andrea Zeigler.

Westfield State had defeated BSU in the MASCAC championship game last November in Bridgewater.

The Owls opened a 1-0 lead just 4:02 into the game when Kylie Tomasetti (Northborough, Mass.) scored, assisted by Kiana Muratsuka (Mililani, Hawaii).

Off a corner kick, Muratsuka crossed the ball to Tomasetti whose header attempt found the left side of the net.

BSU tied the game with only 20 seconds to go in the half after having few offensive chances.

A foul was called against the Owls, and senior Sydney Dewhurst (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scored from 30 yards out. Jenna Sweeney (Wilmington, Mass.) tapped a pass back to Dewhurst, and the ball went through a crowd in front of the net and in for the goal.

The second half was even until Robarge connected for the game-winning goal at 74:01.

Robarge went one-on-one with goalkeeper Julia Robak (Chicopee, Mass.). Her first attempt was stymied by the sprawling Westfield keeper who came out to smother the attempt. Robarge was able to corrall the rebound and slipped a shot past a Westfield defender and into the back of the net.

Robarge leads the team with 25 points while Dewhurst is second with 24 points.

Junior Logan Levesque (Bristol, R.I.) made eight saves for BSU. She made a diving save against Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) in the second half, then stopped the rebound bid by Livie Crooks (Wilbraham, Mass.).

Robak made two saves for the Owls. Robarge had two of the four shots on goal for the Bears.

BSU (9-4-2) has a non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon against the University of Massachusetts Boston at 3:30 at Mazzaferro Field.

Westfield State (9-4-4) is at Salem State next Saturday for a 3 p.m. game.