Field Hockey Notches 2-1 Homecoming Victory over Plymouth State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University field hockey team posted a 2-1 Homecoming victory over visiting Plymouth State University in a Little East Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.

The Bears, who snapped a four-game losing streak, improve to 5-10 on the season and 3-7 in the Little East, while the Panthers fall to 7-7 overall and 5-5 in conference play. Bridgewater entered the game having dropped each of the last nine meetings of the two teams. The Bears last win over the Panthers came in 2012, a 3-2 victory here at Swenson Field.

Junior midfielder Lauren Torres (Taunton, Mass.) potted her first collegiate goal five minutes into the contest to open the scoring for the Bears. Torres intercepted a failed clearance attempt and snuck a shot past the Plymouth netminder and into the right side of the cage.

Sophomore forward Hannah Rolfe (Easton, Mass.) made it a 2-0 game just seconds before halftime as she converted off a penalty corner. Rolfe redirected a shot by sophomore forward Kelley Sharkey (Salisbury, Mass.) that sailed over the keeper for her third goal of the season.

The Bears dominated play in the first half outshooting the Panthers by a healthy margin of 17-5.

Senior forward Jess Mezquita (Atkinson, N.H.) cut the deficit in half just 77 seconds into the third quarter. A BSU defender attempted to clear a crossing pass by sophomore midfielder Taylor Healey (Campton, N.H.), but the ball fell right to the stick of Mezquita who chipped a backhander high into the back of the net. The goal marked Mezquita's fifth of the 2021 campaign.

Bridgewater State had two glorious chances to reclaim the two-goal advantage early in the fourth quarter. A shot by senior forward Katie Swart (Bridgewater, Mass.) glanced off the outside of the post. Just moments later, the Bears were awarded a penalty stroke, but junior forward Bailey Turner's (Dedham, Mass.) attempt was turned aside by Plymouth sophomore goalkeeper Kayla Antonucci (Windham, N.H.).

Bridgewater finished with a 23-11 shot advantage for the game as well as a 9-6 edge in penalty corner attempts.

BSU freshman netminder Emily Ronan (North Billerica, Mass.) turned aside seven shots to record her fifth win of the season.

Antonucci made 13 saves in the setback for the Panthers who also received a pair of defensive saves from grad defender Olivia Geisser (Lowell, Mass.).

The Little East schedule continues for both teams next Tuesday. The Bears entertain the Lancers of Worcester State University at seven o'clock, while the Panthers travel to the University of Southern Maine to take on the Huskies at four.