Men's Soccer Advances to MASCAC Title Game with 4-1 Win Over Salem

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's soccer team has advanced to the championship round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

The top-seeded Bears eliminated fourth-seeded Salem State University, 4-1, on Friday night at Mazzaferro Field, handing the Vikings their first loss since Sept. 17.

BSU (12-5-1, five straight wins) will play second-seeded Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Sunday at Mazzaferro Field for the conference title and a trip to next week's NCAA Division III tourney. Maritime rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Westfield State University, 5-2 in the other semifinal matchup.

It will be the Bears' 11th appearance in the MASCAC final since the tourney began in 2000. BSU has gone 6-4 in its previous championship game appearances.

The Bears held a 2-0 lead over Salem State at halftime and had four different goal scorers. Senior Ryan Healy (Cork, Ireland) had a goal and a pair of assists while freshman Cameron Walty (Weymouth, Mass.) contributed a goal and an assist.

It marked the 12th BSU-Salem State game in the MASCAC tourney, and the Bears are now 3-6-3. The last three meetings were decided by penalty kicks.

The Vikings had gone 7-0-5 since a September loss to Dean College. BSU and Salem State played to a 3-3 tie during the regular season.

BSU scored its first-half goals in the span of 2:12 to open the 2-0 lead at the break in the semifinal-round victory.

Senior Filippo Mucci (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) recorded his sixth goal in the 28th minute to start the scoring.

A corner kick was cleared by the Vikings, but BSU reclaimed possession and the ball was sent toward the top of the six near the far post.

A header by Mucci was stopped on a diving save by sophomore Marcelo Silva (Marlborough, Mass.), but he was unable to control the rebound and Mucci barely tapped it over the goal line near the post.

At 29:17, Healy scored his second goal of the season with Walty assisting.

Silva made a diving stop on a shot by Walty, but Healy was there to tuck the rebound inside the right post with the keeper down.

Salem State closed within 2-1 in the 66th minute on the 17th goal of the season by graduate student Iago De Sousa-Vieira (Medford, Mass.).

Junior Landon Picillo (Warwick, R.I.) sent a centering pass to De Sousa-Vieira, who scored from 11 yards out with his shot going inside the left post.

Walty answered just 28 seconds later to reclaim the two-goal lead for the Bears. Healy assisted on Walty's sixth goal of the season which ties Mucci for the team lead.

A goal line crossing pass from Healy on the right side was redirected just inside the near post by Walty. Junior Connor Wesloski (Wilbraham, Mass.) also assisted.

Freshman Ansley Glemaud (Dorchester Center, Mass.) scored his third goal of the season at 73:38 with Healy assisting.

Healy forced a turnover, sending Glemaud in one-on-one with Silva, and he ripped a shot from about 13 yards out into the center of the cage.

Junior Kyle Sullivan (Enfield, Conn.) made six saves for BSU while Silva had 11 stops for the Vikings.

The Bears outshot Salem State, 23-9, had had a 15-9 edge in shots on goal and 8-3 in corner kicks.

Mucci, Walty and Healy each had three shots on goal for the Bears.

Salem State had eliminated top-seeded BSU in the semifinal round a year ago on penalty kicks.