BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University Bears have been picked to finish third in the 2012 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Soccer standings in a vote of the league's coaches.  The MASCAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll was released just recently by conference Director of Media Relations, Jim Seavey.

Bridgewater finished behind Worcester State University and preseason favorite Westfield State University in the poll as the Bears amassed a total of 48 points.  Westfield, which shared last year’s regular season crown with Bridgewater and Worcester, captured five first place votes to amass 60 points and top second place Worcester’s total of 59 points that included the other three first place votes.  Salem State University (33 pts.), Framingham State University (32 pts.), Fitchburg State University (24 pts.), MCLA (24 pts.), and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (8 pts.) round out the remaining five teams.

Head Coach Lou Verrochi begins his third season at the helm of the BSU women's soccer team.  Verrochi has directed his teams to an overall record of 17-17-3 (.500) over his first two seasons including a 9-4-1 (.679) MASCAC regular season mark.

The 2011 Bears posted a record of 11-7-1 on the season with a 5-2 MASCAC mark.  The squad finished in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings, but was seeded third in the MASCAC Tournament due to the conference tie-breaker.  Bridgewater dropped a 3-0 decision to eventual champion Westfield in the tournament semifinals.

Key returners from the 2011 squad include senior defender and All-MASCAC First Team selection Melanie Thomson (Abington, Mass.), senior forward Molly Copeland (North Falmouth, Mass.), junior midfielders Katie Johnson (Marshfield, Mass.) and Katie Nasuti (Millbury, Mass.), as well as the goaltending tandem of senior Kristen Rowe (Burlington, Mass.) and junior Kerry Condon (Whitman, Mass.).

Thomson notched three goals and three assists in her first season with the Bears and played stellar defense from her sweeper position.  Copeland has amassed seven goals, including four game-winners, to go along with six assists over her first three seasons.  Johnson tied with Thomson for third place among the Bears’ scoring leaders in 2011 with four goals and an assist for nine points.  Nasuti was one of just four players to start all 19 games a year ago as she finished with three goals.

Rowe and Condon split the goaltending duties in 2011 as they combined to make 143 saves and record eight shutouts.  The duo posted an impressive 1.05 goals against average as well as an .872 save percentage.

Some key additions to the Bears’ lineup in 2012 include sophomore transfer Emily Lane (Forward; Parsonsfield, Maine) and junior transfer Erica Jonasson (Forward; Wrentham, Mass.), as well as freshmen Mackenzie Hatfield (Forward; Whitman, Mass.), MaryRose Griffin (Defender; Whitman, Mass.), Brooke Pacheco (Midfielder; Bristol, R.I.) and Olivia Planty (Forward; Litchfield, N.H.).

Lane, who comes to BSU via Division I University of Vermont, was the Maine Class C Player of the Year as a senior at Sacopee Valley High School and was a four-time All-State selection.  She is Sacopee Valley’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals and 34 assists.

Jonasson transferred from UMass Dartmouth where she produced 19 goals and three assists for 41 points in 38 games with the Corsairs.  Jonasson garnered All-Little East Conference Second Team honors in 2011.

Hatfield and Griffin were both chosen as Patriot League All-Stars as teammates at Whitman-Hanson High School. Hatfield was also a two-time Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastic selection (2010, 2011).

Pacheco earned Rhode Island Girls Soccer Coaches Association All-Division II Central First Team honors while competing at Mount Hope High School.  Planty was named to the New Hampshire Soccer Coaches Association Division III All-State First Team while at Campbell High School.

The Bridgewater State women’s soccer team opens the 2012 campaign at the ECAC Soccer Classic in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts.  The Bears will take on Norwich University in their season opener on Friday, August 31st (4:00 PM) and will then face SUNY-Purchase on Sunday, September 2nd (3:00 PM).  MASCAC play begins on Saturday, September 15th when the Bears host Fitchburg State University at Swenson Field (4:30 PM).