Field Hockey Blanks Nichols, 5-0

By Jim Fenton

DUDLEY, Mass. -- Sophomore Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.) has become just the second Bridgewater State University field hockey player to ever reach 30 goals in a season.

Souza scored twice on Wednesday night in a 5-0 non-conference victory over Nichols College at Vendetti Field, giving her 30 this season.

She went past Karen Croteau, who scored 29 in 1982, for second place on the Bears' all-time list.

With four regular-season games remaining, Souza trails only Shelby Farland, who had 32 goals in 2012.

Souza leads the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in goals and began the week tied for first nationally in Division III in goals per gam with Grace Bazin of Keene State.

She also led the nation in points per game.

The Bears improved to 13-2 with their sixth straight victory while the Bison fell to 3-13. BSU scored a 3-1 win over Nichols last season.

Senior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) recorded her fourth shutout and second in the last three games. Gagnon, who now has 13 wins on the year, made two stops against the Bison.

The Bears held a 3-0 lead after the first period, added a goal in the second period and one more in the final period.

Freshman Ellie Moberg (North Reading, Mass.) make it 1-0 just 2:17 into the game.

Junior Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) stickhandled to the right side of the circle and had her shot blocked by a Nichols' defender. Moberg was there for the rebound and slipped it into the left side of the net for her eighth goal of the 2025 campaign.

The Bears then scored twice within 16 seconds in the final minute of the opening period.

Sophomore Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.) had her 11th goal at 14:34.

Moberg tapped a short pass to Rose off a rebound, and she flipped a backhander into the back of the cage.

At 14:50, Souza converted a penalty stroke to the left side for the 3-0 lead. BSU outshot Nichols, 9-0, in the first 15 minutes.

Souza made it 4-0 at halftime, scoring at 27:02 on another penalty stroke, this one to the right side.

The fifth goal was at 48:16 by senior Raegen Perry (Nantucket, Mass.).

A tough angle shot by Rose was cleared off the line by the Nichols defense and the ball went to Perry, who scored her fourth goal with a shot into the left side.

The Bears had a 16-2 edge in shots on goal, 28-6 in overall shots.

Moberg led BSU with five shots on goal while Zuber, Rose and Souza had three apiece.

The Bears began the week ranked second nationally in Division III in goals per game, trailing only Endicott  College.

Nichols freshman goalkeeper Jessa Altemose (Randolph, N.J.) had 11 saves.

BSU next plays on Saturday night, traveling to Westfield State for an important Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game.

The Bears (8-1) are one game behind the Owls (9-0) with three conference games left. Westfield State won at BSU, 5-4, last month.

Nichols has a game at home Saturday against Gordon College at 5 p.m.