Hatfield Nets Game-Winner in OT as Women's Soccer Erases Three-Goal Deficit

NEWPORT, R.I. - Junior forward Mackenzie Hatfield (Whitman, Mass.) capped an impressive comeback for Bridgewater State University with her second goal of the game coming in the second overtime as the Bears edged Salve Regina University, 4-3, in non-league action on Tuesday afternoon at Reynolds Field.

Hatfield continued her scoring binge as she netted two goals for the third straight game and has seven goals and an assist over the last four.

Salve Regina (2-5) scored the first three goals of the game, all in the first half, to build a 3-0 advantage at intermission. Bridgewater State (3-4) enjoyed shooting at the same net as its hosts in the second stanza and knotted the score with three goals by the 64th minute of the game.

Hatfield's game-winning score also went into the north end goal making all seven goals deposited in that net.

Salve senior forward Lauren Bulk (Portsmouth, R.I.) scored her second goal of the season at 9:38 with an assist from sophomore Christine Pala (Milford, Conn.).

Sophomore Ellie Dye (La Jolla, Calif.) put her second goal of the season into the net from 40-yards out with a powerful kick on a loose ball. Eleven seconds later, the Seahawks had a 3-0 lead when junior tri-captain Anna Shultz (Higganum, Conn.) scored her first goal of the season sneaking in to tap a free kick from classmate Alexis Pike (Smithfield, R.I.).

The Bears struck in the first five minutes of the second half. Freshman Courtney Pepin (Uxbridge, Mass.) scored her second goal of the season when she beat rookie starting keeper Emily Cuellar (Providence, R.I.).

After another dozen minutes, Hatfield scored her sixth goal of the season and first of the game with an assist from junior Brooke Pacheco (Bristol, R.I.). Hatfield used her left foot to stick the ball past the diving Cuellar on the goalkeeper's left side.

BSU junior Carolyn Sessler (Plymouth, Mass.) knotted the game at 3-3 as she converted a corner kick with a ricochet off a Seahawk defender that eluded Cuellar at 63:29.

The game remained tied for the final 26 minutes of regulation and for 10-plus minutes of overtime.

Hatfield got free with a long clear from a defender and carried the ball into the top of the box before tipping the game-winner past Cuellar 2:39 into the second overtime.

Salve Regina ends its season-long five-game homestand with a 1-4 mark including three losses in overtime. The Seahawks play the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Mass., on Saturday (1 p.m.). Bridgewater State now has won 17 of 20 meetings all-time with Salve Regina; the Bears return home to host Westfield State on Saturday.

Notes: With her two goals, Hatfield slid into fifth place on the Bears' all-time scoring list as she now has 66 points (24G, 18A). Hatfield moved past Kara Kennedy who notched 65 points from 1987 to 1989.