By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Here's a look at the week ahead (Sept. 29-Oct. 5) for the Bridgewater State University athletics teams:
MONDAY
MEN'S SOCCER, at UMass Boston, Noon: The Bears (5-4) bid for a fourth straight win when they take on the Beacons (4-2-3) at the BC High School junior varsity field.
The teams played to a 1-1 tie a year ago, and UMass Boston owns a 12-9-1 lead in the series.
This is the sixth non-conference game for BSU.
TUESDAY
WOMEN'S TENNIS, at home, UMass Boston, 3:30 PM: The Bears have lost four of the last five meetings with the Beacons but own a 16-4 series lead.
BSU (4-4, 2-1 Little East) lost to UMass Boston, 6-3, a year ago.
The Beacons are 4-2, including 2-0 in the Little East.
FIELD HOCKEY, at home, Westfield State, 7:00 PM: A showdown for first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference takes place at Mazzaferro Field.
Both teams are riding four-game winning streaks and are 3-0 in the conference.
BSU (7-1) lost to Westfield State (6-3) in the MASCAC tournament final in 2024, 2-1, after they split the regular-season series.
WEDNESDAY
WOMEN'S SOCCER, at home, Gordon, 7:00 PM: The teams meet for the third time with the Bears owning a 2-0 lead.
BSU defeated the Fighting Scots, 3-1, a year ago.
The Bears are 3-5-1 while Gordon is 3-6, including 1-1 in the Conference of New England.
THURSDAY
VOLLEYBALL, at Anna Maria, 6:00 PM: The Bears seek a third straight win when they travel to Paxton, Mass.
BSU is off to an 8-3 start, 2-0 in the MASCAC, while the AMCATS are 3-6 and -2 in the conference.
The Bears won last year when the teams met on opening day, 3-0.
SATURDAY
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, at the Keene State Invitational, 11:00 AM: The Bears take part in their third meet of the season, traveling to New Hampshire.
A year ago, Naomi Cass was sixth in a field of 240 runners to lead BSU.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, at the Keene State Invitational, Noon: BSU placed fourth at this meet a year ago, led by an 11th-place finish by Kevin McBirney.
The Bears have one more meet after this before the MASCAC Championships.
WOMEN'S TENNIS, at UMass Dartmouth, Noon: The Bears have won six straight matches against the Corsairs, including a pair last season.
BSU defeated UMass Dartmouth, 5-0, in the Little East tournament.
The Corsairs are off to a 6-2 start, including 3-0 in the conference.
MEN'S SOCCER, at home, Worcester State, Noon: A key MASCAC game takes place at Mazzaferro Field.
The Lancers are 3-5 and 3-1 in the MASCAC.
BSU owns a 29-20-4 series lead since 1980, including a 4-0 win a year ago.
FOOTBALL, at Worcester State, 1:30 PM: It will be homecoming for the Lancers (0-3, 0-2 MASCAC) when they take on the Bears (1-3, 1-2).
BSU has dropped back-to-back games and is on the road for the second week in a row.
The Bears defeated the Lancers, 42-7, a year ago and owns a 27-11 series lead. BSU has defeated Worcester State in 18 of the last 19 meetings, including six in a row.
FIELD HOCKEY, at Framingham State, 2:00 PM: The Bears eliminated the Rams from the MASCAC tournament last season after dropping a pair of games by one goal in the regular season.
Framingham State is off to a 1-8 start, going 0-4 in the MASCAC.
WOMEN'S SOCCER, at Worcester State, 5:30 PM: The Lancers are 4-0 in the MASCAC, 6-2 overall.
BSU owns a 21-18-7 lead in the series since 1991 and defeated Worcester State, 2-1, a year ago.