Women's Soccer Blanks Fitchburg State, 6-0

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Five different players scored a goal as the Bridgewater State University women's soccer team cruised to a 6-0 shutout victory over visiting Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) affair on Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.

The Bears improve to 4-4 on the season and 2-0 in the MASCAC, while the Falcons slip to 0-8-1 overall and 0-2-1 in conference play. Bridgewater State has won each of the last ten meetings of the two teams. The Bears also hold a 24-3-2 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1993, including a 15-1 mark at home.

Sophomore midfielder Audra McDuffie (Millbury, Mass.) scored a pair of goals and junior forward Michelle Belcher (Norton, Mass.) added a goal and an assist to lead the way for Bridgewater State.

McDuffie opened the scoring 14 minutes into the contest as she collected a loose ball and fired a shot inside the right post from 25 yards out.

McDuffie converted off a Belcher corner kick in the 26th minute as she beat the Fitchburg netminder with a shot into the left side of the cage from the top of the six. The goal marked McDuffie's team-leading fifth of the season.

Belcher hooked a corner kick that deflected off the hand of the outstretched keeper and just over the goal line to make it a 3-0 game with 1:43 remaining in the opening stanza. For Belcher, the goal marked her fourth of the 2021 campaign.

Senior forward Madelyn Morin (East Longmeadow, Mass.) notched her second goal of the season in the 69th minute. Morin fired a shot inside the left post from just outside the 18 to extend the lead to 4-0.

Freshman midfielder Sydney Sousa (Dartmouth, Mass.) potted her first collegiate goal in the 83rd minute to make it a 5-0 game. Sousa chipped a shot inside the right post off a scramble in front the of the net.

Just two and a half minutes later, sophomore forward Stephanie Spear (Blackstone, Mass.) capped off the scoring with her first collegiate marker. Spear found the back of the net off a crossing pass from freshman forward Clara Woodard (Sandwich, Mass.) with senior midfielder Delaney Langton (Scituate, R.I.) picking up the secondary assist.

Bridgewater State finished with a decided 41-6 shot advantage for the game as well as an 11-4 edge in corner kick attempts.

BSU senior goalkeeper Tory Viola-Laughery (Brockton, Mass.) turned aside three shots to record her fourth collegiate shutout.

Three Fitchburg netminders combined for 19 saves with junior Allison Gough (Wolcott, Conn.) leading the way with ten.

Both teams are back in action on Tuesday night. The Bears travel to UMass Dartmouth for a seven o'clock game wit the Corsairs, while the Falcons head to Lesley University to take on the Lynx at eight.