By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Four members of the Bridgewater State University men's soccer team have been selected to the All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference first team.
The four also received all-conference honors in 2024 while two of the players are making their third appearance on All-MASCAC teams.
Earning spots on the 11-player first team from BSU are junior midfielder Tyler Chang (Acushnet, Mass.), senior midfielder Filippo Mucci (Vineyard Haven, Mass.), junior back Hector Bucio (Easton, Mass.) and senior back Gavin Norton (Rockland, Mass.).
The Bears (13-5-1) finished first in the MASCAC during the regular season with a 6-1-1 record. It was the program's third consecutive championship.
As the top seed in the conference tournament, BSU defeated Salem State, 4-1, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 1-0, for a second title in three years.
The Bears have reached the NCAA Division III tourney for the eighth time and will play Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Rowan University of New Jersey in Middletown, Conn.
Chang is a versatile player who contributes at both ends of the field.
He scored five goals with four assists for 14 points, third in goals and points and tied for fourth in assists.
Chang had a two-goal game against Worcester State in a 3-0 win on Oct. 4.
Entering the season, Chang had no goals and four assists in his career. Chang scored his first BSU goal on Sept. 23 in a 2-0 win over Emerson College.
Mucci made the all-conference first team in 2023 and the second team a year ago.
This season, Mucci leads BSU with 21 points and nine assists -- which leads the MASCAC -- and is tied for the team lead with six goals.
As a junior, Mucci had five goals and five assists and was second on the team in goals and points. He had six goals and three assists as a sophomore and two goals in 12 games as a freshman.
Mucci enters the NCAAs with 19 career goals and 17 assists. He is 12th all-time in program history with 55 points.
Bucio was named to the second team in 2023 and was on the first team a year ago.
This season, Bucio was in a key defensive role after being one of the Bears' leading scorers in '24.
He had a goal and an assist this season, scoring in a 6-0 win over Anna Maria on Sept. 6.
Bucio helped the BSU defense limit opponents to 26 goals in 19 games.
As a sophomore, Bucio was tied for the team lead with six goals and was tied for third with 14 points.
In his freshman season, Bucio scored a goal and an assist. He has started all 54 games he has appeared in at BSU.
Norton, a four-year starter, is second at BSU this season with six assists, has three goals and is fourth with 12 points.
He assisted on the lone goal of the MASCAC championship game, setting up Ryan Healy (Cork, Ireland) in the final minutes.
As a junior, Norton led the Bears with 18 points and was tied for the lead with six goals and tied for second with six assists.
Norton started 31 of 37 games in his first two seasons and had six assists.
Nick Parakilas of Westfield State University was picked as the MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year while Mass. Maritime goalkeeper Preston Joia was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Gustavo de Oliveira of the Mass. College of Liberal Arts is the Rookie of the Year and Greg Perry of Mass. Maritime is the BSN Sports Coach of the Year.