A Knack For Scoring

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- There was uncertainty about whether she would play field hockey in college after a career at Dartmouth High School.

Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.) had decided to attend Bridgewater State University and major in health science, pre-occupational therapy starting in the fall of 2024.

She had not been recruited by the Bears' field hockey team and was thinking about passing on varsity sports while in college.

"I was a little heartbroken after my last field hockey season in high school,"  said Souza, thinking back to an Elite Eight tournament loss to Somerset Berkley. "In the back of my mind, I thought I'd go to college and just try out for a club team.

"But a couple of months after my final decision to go to Bridgewater, I was like, 'I should just play. I'll never know if I don't try out.' After some thinking, I was like, 'I don't think I can give up sports just like that.'"

So Souza contacted BSU coach Ashley Bishop before enrolling in college and tried out for the team as a freshman in August 2024, earning a spot on the roster as a forward.

Souza put together an impressive first collegiate season, finishing second in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with 12 goals and fifth with 26 points.

That earned Souza the MASCAC Co-Rookie of the Year Award with Samantha Jones of Fitchburg State University and a spot on the all-conference first team.

Now a sophomore, Souza is off to a sizzling start for the Bears, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in just five games, helping BSU off to a 4-1 start heading into Friday night's home game against Salem State University.

Entering this week, Souza was ranked first nationally in Division III in both goals and points per game.

Through 24 career games, Souza has 22 goals, and only 10 Bridgewater State players have compiled at least 25 career goals.

Souza and the BSU field hockey program have been a perfect match.

"We obviously couldn't predict how impactful she'd be," said Bishop. "You could tell she just has a way of putting herself in a position to put balls in the net. She stays low to the ground, her hands are quick and she understands space.

"There's a natural knack for scoring she has that you can't teach."

Souza's latest goal came less than two minutes into overtime Tuesday night, giving BSU a 2-1 road win over Fitchburg State University to open the MASCAC schedule.

Earlier this season, Souza tied a career high with four goals against Maine-Farmington after getting four in a win over Anna Maria last season.

"I can't do it without my teammates," she said. "I get set up all the time with such great passes. I'm waiting there and they find me.

"(The co-rookie award) was really cool. I'd never won a big accolade in my life. My teammates were so proud of me. It was so heartwarming because I wouldn't have had that accomplishment if it wasn't for them."

Souza said it was a transition process at the start of her freshman season in '24 after earning a spot on the team.

She had just one goal in the opening five games before getting the offense going.

"It was a really big adjustment for me," said Souza. "Going into the first season, I was hesitant on playing. In my mind, I was like I hadn't played in five months. I felt I could live without it. I was thinking about not even trying out.

"But I talked to my roommate and she said, 'You should try out and see how you feel about it.' The transition was really hard. I was not used to all the high-demand, practice every day, two sessions.

"My success didn't come immediately. The preseason and the first couple of games, I was really struggling to play how I normally do. I wanted to be a team player and was a freshman and didn't want to overstep. But the fourth game or so, something clicked midgame and I felt like I belonged out there. My dad even said, 'You looked like you were playing like
you normally do."

Souza came into the 2025 season better prepared, knowing what it would take to be successful.

Souza and her BSU and Dartmouth teammate, Kallie Rose, and another former high school teammate spent numerous hours over the summer working out to get ready.

"I practiced a lot because last summer (2024), I didn't know what I needed to do, didn't know what I needed to condition," she said. "This year, I learned how to condition my body. We worked four times a week and that really helped a lot."

The results have been obvious with Souza piling up goals just five games into the season.

Souza plays club hockey at BSU after playing at Dartmouth High, which helps on the field as far as skill and quickness.

With plenty of time to go in her career, Souza is only getting started with the Bears.

"The sky's kind of the limit for her,'' said Bishop. "She places shots really well and has a strong hit. We want to see what else she's capable of. She's smart and absorbs a lot and wants to learn. She wants to get better for her team."

After initially considering not playing varsity sports in college, Souza is so happy that she has an athletics career going at BSU.

"I love this, I love my teammates," said Souza. "This is so much fun.

"My friends on the team, I think, are going to stick with me through life. I would not trade it. If I could talk to Samantha, the incoming freshman at Bridgewater, I would say, 'It's going to be a great choice, the best choice of your life, to play.'"