Balboni, Panzini Lead Bears to 4-3 Win over Westfield State

Box Score

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Senior forwards Katie Balboni (Townsend, MA) and Ashley Panzini (Saugus, MA) both tallied two goals and an assist to lead Bridgewater State to a wild 4-3 field hockey conference victory over Westfield State on Tuesday evening, Oct. 3.

Bridgewater improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Little East Conference; Westfield is 5-5 and 2-4. All of the scoring was done in the game’s final 40 minutes. Balboni scored with 4:31 left in the first half off an assist to the far corner from Panzini.

Westfield tied the score early in the second half on an unassisted goal by senior Megan Wolski (Plymouth, MA), the college’s all-time leading scorer.

Panzini put the Bears back on top, 2-1, but Westfield sophomore Kate Moss (Auburn, MA) tied the score, 2-2, with 19:40 remaining on a goal mouth scramble.

The Bears then struck for two quick goals by Balboni and Panzini in a four-minute span to take a 4-2 lead with 13 minutes remaining.

Westfield made it 4-3 when freshman Alicia Gardner (Athol, MA) scored off a penalty corner with 11:39 remaining. Bridgewater, however, pulled out the key road victory as it thwarted several Westfield scoring attempts in the final minutes.

Release courtesy of Westfield State College Sports Information