By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The last time the Bridgewater State University field hockey team had started the season with a 5-1 record was in 2012.

Thirteen years later, the Bears are once again 5-1 through their first six games, including 2-0 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

BSU picked up its fifth win on Friday night at Mazzaferro Field, defeating Salem State University, 10-1.

The 2012 team finished 18-4, setting the program record for victories.

Junior Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) had her first career hat track, adding two assists to go with the three goals. Zuber now has 17 assists in her career as she tied Samantha Hayes (2015-18) for eighth place on the Bears' all-time list.

Senior Raegen Perry (Nantucket, Mass.) had two goals and two assists for the Bears.

Sophomore Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.), who prior to Thursday's games was the NCAA Division III leader in goals per game, scored two more times in the victory over the Vikings.

Through six games, Souza now has a MASCAC-leading 12 goals to match her total as a freshman last fall.

In the last stats compiled after Wednesday's games, Souza was one behind the national Division III in total goals, Ami Mattingly of Penn State Harrisburg.

Junior Madison Ellis (Attleboro, Mass.) chipped in with a goal and two assists.

The Bears have scored 10 goals in two of their five wins. They scored nine unanswered goals against Salem State after the game was tied, 1-1, in the second period.

BSU held a 1-0 lead after one period on an early goal by freshman Ellie Moberg (North Reading, Mass.), assisted by Ellis at 1:26.

Moberg tipped home a shot off a penalty corner by Ellis for her third collegiate goal.

Salem State tied the game in the second period at 16:18 when sophomore Mikayla Taylor (Scarborough, Maine) scored.

Taylor knocked in a rebound of her own close-range shot.

The Bears took the lead for good at 19:13 when Ellis scored the first of three BSU goals in the second period.

BSU again scored off a penalty corner. Ellis took the insert pass and stickhandled by a defender before slipping a shot inside the left post.

Perry made it 3-1 at 23:39, assisted by Zuber, as the Bears again scored off a penalty corner.

Zuber sent a centering pass from the right side that was sent into the cage by Perry.

Zuber also assisted on a goal by Souza at 25:49 to make it 4-1 at the break.

Zuber intercepted a clearing attempt, stickhandled to the left and fired a shot that was tipped in by Souza.

Souza opened the second-half scoring with a goal at 31:56, assisted by Perry.

After the Salem State goalkeeper came out to knock the ball away, Perry pushed the ball towards the net where Souza tapped it into an empty net.

BSU added three more goals in the period with Zuber scoring at 32:39.

Zuber stickhandled into the circle, went around several defenders and put a shot inside the left post for a 6-1 lead.

Sophomore Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.) made it 7-1 at 40:27. Rose redirected a close-range shot by Perry.

Zuber added a goal at 42:10 with Ellis getting the assist. Zuber tipped in a shot by Ellis off a penalty corner.

Perry added the ninth goal at 50:15. Perry took a rebound off a shot by Souza and flipped the ball over the keeper into the back of the net.

The 10th goal came from Zuber after a shot by sophomore Eve O'Rourke (Norwood, Mass.) was blocked by a defender. Zuber picked up the rebound and slipped a shot into the center of the cage.

BSU senior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) played the first three periods and made five saves. Senior Catherine Daoulas (Marshfield, Mass.) did not make a save in the final period.

Salem State junior Izzy Mosley (Middleboro, Mass.) stopped 15 shots.

Souza led the Bears with eight shots on goal while Perry had seven and Zuber six.

The Bears own a 26-18-1 lead over the Vikings in a series that began in 1983.

BSU will be on the road Tuesday to play Anna Maria at 7 p.m.

Salem State (2-3, 1-1 MASCAC) hosts Framingham State on Tuesday at 4 p.m.