Women's Lacrosse Advances to MASCAC Semifinals with 21-9 Win Over Salem

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University lacrosse team has advanced to the semifinal round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

The fourth-seeded Bears eliminated fifth-seeded Salem State University, 21-9, at Mazzaferro Field on Tuesday afternoon in the quarterfinal round.

BSU (14-4) will play on Thursday night at either top-seeded Worcester State University (11-6) or second-seeded Westfield State University (7-10).

The Bears have reached 14 victories for the first time since going 14-6 in 2014 when they played in the NCAA Division III tourney.

Senior Camryn Gonsalves (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had a career-high eight assists and scored three goals for the Bears, who are 17-0 against Salem State (9-9).

Gonsalves, who is now seventh all-time at BSU with 91 career assists, tied for the second highest single-game assist total by a BSU player.

Shannon Manning (2008) and Victoria McDonough (2018) hold the single-game record of 10 assists while Gonsalves is tied with Manning, who had eight in a 2010 contest.

Gonsalves now has 65 goals and 40 assists for 105 points. She is the fifth player to reach 100 points and is tied for second behind Manning (120 in 2010). Manning also had 105 points in 2008.

Junior Meredith Sylvia (South Dartmouth, Mass.) had four goals and one assist and has 51 goals on the season. Graduate student Riley Bina (Abington, Mass.) scored three times and assisted on a goal.

Senior Melanie McClay (Plymouth, Mass.) scored three goals after having two goals entering the game.

The Bears, who had nine players score at least a goal, jumped to an 11-1 lead after one period and were in control from start to finish.

BSU scored the first five goals of the game in less than three minutes with seniors Erin McIntyre (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Katy Shaw (Centerville, Mass.) opening the scoring followed by a pair of goals by Bina and one from Gonsalves.

After Salem State freshman Jordan Turcotte (Danvers, Mass.) scored with 10:13 to go in the opening period, BSU registered the next six goals by Shaw, McClay, Sylvia, Bina, Gonsalves and freshman Taylor Carter (Walpole, Mass.).

The Vikings got as close as 12-5 in the second period on goals by junior Aislinn Bennett (Milford, Mass.), graduate student Megan Parthum (Marblehead, Mass.), junior Laura Young (Leominster, Mass.) and sophomore Kaylee Rich (Danvers, Mass.).

But graduate student Savannah Herrington (Kinnelon, N.J.), McClay, Sylvia and freshman Sophia Fleurent (Fairhaven, Mass.) scored in the period for the Bears, who held a 15-5 halftime lead.

Salem State was limited to one goal by Bennett in the third period and trailed, 20-6, with 15 minutes remaining as Sylvia scored twice while Gonsalves, McClay and McIntyre had goals for BSU.

The Bears were outscored, 3-1, in the final period with sophomore Kaylei Joseph (Fairhaven, Mass.) getting her first goal of the season for BSU.

Turcotte scored twice and Parthum added a fourth-period goal for Salem State.

Freshman Sara Skaff (Lowell, Mass.) made five saves for BSU while sophomore Gianna Scarpelli (Medford, Mass.) had two stops in the final 12:20 for the Bears.

Skaff picked up her 13th win of the season as she is tied for fourth place on the Bears' singles-season wins list.

McIntyre contributed five draw controls and three groundballs while Sylvia had five draw controls to go along with a pair of ground balls and three caused turnovers. Sylvia's 40 caused turnovers mark the the fourth highest single-season total in program history. She also leads the team with 60 ground balls.

The Bears finished with a 37-22 shot advantage as well as a 19-13 edge in draw controls.