By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Here's a look at the week ahead (Oct. 28 - Nov. 3) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:
TUESDAY
MEN'S SOCCER, Rhode Island College, at home, 3:30 PM: The Bears play their final non-conference game of the regular season on Senior Day at Mazzaferro Field.
BSU (8-5-2) has already clinched the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title for a second year in a row.
The Bears played the Anchormen (10-4-1) to a 2-2 tie last year and won the previous meeting, 3-0, in 2021. Bridgewater is 14-17-2 all-time versus RIC.
FIELD HOCKEY, Wheaton College, at home, 7 p.m.: The Bears began a busy final week of the regular season, playing three games in five days.
BSU (7-8) and Wheaton (8-8) are meeting for the first time since the Lyons won, 5-0, on Oct. 29, 2019.
WEDNESDAY
WOMEN'S SOCCER, UMass Boston at home, 3:30 PM: The Bears (9-4-2) play the final regular-season home game, taking on the Beacons (10-3-4) in a non-conference matchup.
UMass Boston holds a 9-2-2 lead in the series. The teams tied, 1-1, a year ago, and BSU's last win over the Beacons was in 2018.
BSU skipper Yasmina Carvalho (11th year) is one coaching win shy of Andrea Zeigler's all-time program mark of 96.
VOLLEYBALL, At Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 6:00 PM: The Bears (9-7, 4-1 MASCAC) finish October with a road game and the next-to-last conference game.
BSU lost, 3-1, to MCLA last year and has dropped four in a row in the series. The Bears hold a 22-8 edge against the Trailblazers (8-14, 3-2 MASCAC).
FIELD HOCKEY, Westfield State at home, 7:00 PM: The Bears lost to the Owls in Westfield, 4-0, on Oct. 5, their sixth straight loss to Westfield State.
The Owls are 10-7 and 6-2 in the MASCAC.
FRIDAY
MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Wheaton College, 6:00 PM: The Bears take part in the first of two November meets, traveling to Norton.
BSU lost to the Lyons a year ago at home, 193-69.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING, at Wheaton College, 6:00 PM: The Lyons defeated the Bears, 170-115, a year ago despite a pair of wins in the diving events by BSU's Cailey Simard.
MEN'S SOCCER, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 7:00 PM: The Bears conclude the regular season by hosting the visitors from western Massachusetts.
BSU defeated MCLA, 3-0, a year ago to extend their winning streak against the Trailblazers to seven games. The Bears open the MASCAC tournament with a semifinal-round game at home on Friday, Nov. 8.
The Trailblazers are 7-7-2, 2-3-1 in the conference.
SATURDAY
EQUESTRIAN, at the Century Mill Stables, 9:00 AM: The Bears take part in their fourth show of the fall season, hosted by Brandeis University.
BSU finished fourth at Century Mill in competition last March.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, MASCAC Championships, at Leominster, 11:00 AM: The Bears take part in the conference meet, hosted by Fitchburg State, at the Doyle Conservation Center.
BSU finished second to Westfield State a year ago. The top runner for the Bears was Kyle Ackroyd, who was sixth.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, MASCAC Championships, at Leominster, Noon: The Bears race in the conference meet, hosted by Fitchburg State, at the Doyle Conservation Center.
Junior Naomi Cass of BSU will be trying to defend her MASCAC title after winning the race at Fort Devens in 2023.
The Bears finished second to Westfield State a year ago.
VOLLEYBALL, at Mount Holyoke, 11:00 AM; Fisher College, 1:00 PM: The Bears take part in a non-conference tri-match at Mount Holyoke.
One week later, BSU concludes the regular season at the Mass. Maritime Academy.
FIELD HOCKEY, at Fitchburg State, Noon: The Falcons handed the Bears a 5-0 loss on Oct. 12, scoring all the goals in the second half. BSU leads the series with Fitchburg State, 28-11-1.
This game marks the end of the regular season for the Bears.
FOOTBALL, Fitchburg State, at home, Noon: The Bears open the November portion of the schedule by playing their first home game since Oct. 5.
BSU was a 38-14 winner over the Falcons a year ago and holds a 30-8 lead in a series that started in 1986. Fitchburg State has dropped five in a row to the Bears.
BSU is 2-5, 2-4 in the MASCAC with three games left. Fitchburg State is 2-5 and 1-5 in the conference.
WOMEN'S SOCCER, at Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 1:00 PM: The Bears finish the regular season by traveling to North Adams.
BSU defeated the Trailblazers, 3-0 last year and own a 38-8-4 series lead. MCLA is 3-9-3 and 0-6-1 in the MASCAC.