By Jim Fenton

FRANKLIN, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University field hockey team held off Dean College for its fourth win in a row Saturday afternoon.

The Bears took a 3-0 first-half lead en route to a 3-2 non-conference victory over the Bulldogs at Grant Field.

Junior Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) and sophomore Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.) each had a goal and an assist for BSU.

The Bears are 7-1 while Dean fell to 6-6 after having a three-game winning streak halted.

Souza now has a team-best 15 goals and 33 points while Zuber is second in points (26) and goals (10) and leads the team with six assists.

BSU held a 1-0 lead after the first period, getting a goal at 14:21 from freshman Ellie Moberg (North Reading, Mass.) with Souza assisting.

Sophomore Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.) sent the Bears in on a 2-on-1 with Souza stickhandling and feeding Moberg, who put a shot into a wide open net for her fifth goal.

BSU scored twice in the second period less than seven minutes apart for the 3-0 halftime lead.

Souza scored at 16:47 as she took a pass from Zuber near the top of the circle and fired a long shot inside the right post.

At 23:31, Zuber made it 3-0 with an assist to sophomore Taylor Carter (Walpole, Mass.).

That goal came off a penalty corner with Zuber converting the feed from Carter.

BSU did not score again and Dean made it interesting with single goals in the third and fourth periods.

Sophomore Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, N.Y.) scored an unassisted goal at 38:46. Her long shot went inside the right post.

Dean moved within a goal at 46:30 on a score by junior Emily Kilpatrick (Marion, Mass.), assisted by sophomore Katrina Lee (Brookline, N.H.).

A centering pass by Lee to the front of the net was sent in by Kilpatrick to end the scoring.

The Bears were outshot, 20-14, and Dean had a 14-9 edge in shots on goal.

BSU senior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) made 12 saves.

Senior Allie Stockwell (Burrillville, R.I.) played the first half in goal for Dean and had two saves. Sophomore Sara Gardner (Hampstead, Md.) had four saves in the second half.

BSU will host Westfield State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The teams are tied for first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference at 3-0.

Dean travels to Connecticut Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game against Albertus Magnus.

Notes: Souza now has 27 goals and 59 points in her career. She is tied with BSU Hall of Famer Kathy McGough (1986-89) for ninth place on the Bears' all-time goal scoring list. Souza also moved past BSU Hall of Famer Andrea Erickson for tenth place on the Bears' all-time scoring list...Zuber increased her career totals to 19 goals and 19 assists for 57 points. Zuber is tied with Erickson for fifth place among the Bears' all-time assist leaders and tied with Erickson for 11th place on the Bears' all-time scoring list.