By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Here's a look at the week ahead (Sept. 8-14) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:
TUESDAY
WOMEN'S TENNIS, at home, Nichols, 3:30 PM: The Bears (1-1) play their third of four straight home matches to open theseason.
This will be the first meeting between BSU and Nichols, a member of the Conference of New England. The match against the Bears is the season opener for the Bison.
VOLLEYBALL, at home, Curry, 6:00 PM: The Bears (2-1) make their 2025 Tinsley Center debut, facing the Colonels (2-3).
BSU defeated Curry, 3-0, last season in Milton, Mass.
This begins a stretch of four matches in five days for the Bears.
MEN'S SOCCER, at home, Brandeis, 7:00 PM: The Bears (2-1) play the second of three straight home matches, taking on the Judges (2-0) at Mazzaferro Field.
BSU lost at Brandeis, 2-0, last season and the Judges own a 15-4-3 lead in the series, going 4-0-1 in the last five matchups.
WEDNESDAY
WOMEN'S SOCCER, at Wheaton College, 4:00 PM: The Bears (1-2) make the short trip to Norton to go against the Lyons (2-1).
Wheaton's lone loss came to MASCAC member Worcester State University, 2-0.
The Bears and Lyons played to a 0-0 tie last season, and Wheaton has an 11-1-1 record in the series, which began in 1992.
Head Coach Yasmina Carvalho enters this week with 99 coaching victories.
THURSDAY
WOMEN'S TENNIS, at home, Vermont State Castleton, 3:30 PM: The Bears and Spartans (1-1) meet in the Little East Conference opener at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.
BSU is 6-0 against Vermont State Castleton since the series began in 2018, including a 9-0 win on the road last fall.
VOLLEYBALL, at home, Rhode Island College, 6:00 PM: The Bears defeated the Anchorwomen (2-2) on the road last season, 3-0, and have a 10-9 edge in a series that started in 1994.
RIC enters the match with two straight losses.
FIELD HOCKEY, at UMass Dartmouth, 7:00 PM: The Bears (2-0) and Corsairs (1-2) meet at Cressy Field in a series that started in 1973.
BSU owns a 25-18-4 record over UMass Dartmouth with three wins in a row.
The Bears are playing their first road game after winning a pair at home.
FRIDAY
WOMEN'S SOCCER, at Mass. Maritime Academy, 7:00 PM: The Bears are 16-0 against the Buccaneers in a series that got underway in 2008.
BSU defeated Mass. Maritime, 3-0, on Senior Day last season. The Buccaneers are off to a 0-3 start this season.
MEN'S SOCCER, at home, Mass. Maritime Academy, 7:00 PM: The Bears edged the Buccaneers, 2-1, a year ago on the road and lead the series, which began in 1980, 37-7-4.
The Buccaneers are off to a 3-0 start with wins over Regis, Elms and Salem State.
SATURDAY
FIELD HOCKEY, at home, Wellesley, 11:00 AM: The Blue are off to an 0-2 start with losses to nationally ranked Swarthmore (No. 22 in the country) and Tufts (No. 2).
Wellesley has won all nine meetings with BSU, including an 8-0 decision at home last season.
VOLLEYBALL, tri-match at Suffolk University: The Bears travel to Boston to go against Maine Maritime Academy at 1:00 PM and host Suffolk at 3:00 PM.
Maine Maritime (3-2) won its first three matches of the season. The Bears and Maine Maritime met in 2017 at the Johnson & Wales Invitational with BSU losing, 3-2.
Suffolk is off to a 0-4 start this season.
FOOTBALL, at home, Westfield State, 2:30 PM: The Bears open their home and Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference schedules against the Owls.
BSU dropped its opener at Curry while Westfield State lost at home to Vermont State Castleton, 16-12.
The Owls' game was halted with 9:42 remaining because of thunderstorms and a tornado warning.
Westfield State defeated BSU for the first time since 2011 last season, holding the Bears scoreless in the second half of a 24-17 win.