Belcher's Last Minute Heroics Lifts Women's Soccer to 2-1 Win Over Salem State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior midfielder Michelle Belcher (Norton, Mass.) curled in a corner kick with 49 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Bridgewater State University women's soccer team to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Salem State University on Thursday night at Swenson Field.

The Bears improve to 7-7-1 on the season and 4-1-1 in the MASCAC with the win, while the visiting Vikings fall to 4-11 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

With time winding down, Belcher hooked a left-footed corner attempt into the far side of the cage for her team-leading eight goal of the season.

Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Salem managed to keep the game close thanks in part to junior goalkeeper Lily Pfefferle (St. Paul, Minn.). Pfefferle made 13 saves on the evening with ten coming in the first half. The Bears outshot the Vikings, 21-1, in the opening stanza and attempted all 14 corner kicks.

After a scoreless first half, Bridgewater finally broke the ice in the 57th minute as senior forward Madelyn Morin (East Longmeadow, Mass.) notched her fourth goal of the season with freshman forward Bailey Brown (Plymouth, Mass.) and senior forward Caitlyn Laliberte (Somerset, Mass.) picking up the assists. Belcher set up the scoring chance with a long run down the right side. Belcher sent a crossing pass that was headed by Laliberte to Brown inside the six. Brown tapped a pass back to Morin who buried a shot into the right side of the net from eight yards out.

Belcher nearly converted a left-footed corner attempt in the 34th minute, but the ball was headed out by a Salem defender. She also rang the post twice in the second half.

Salem capitalized on a BSU miscue to knot the score at 1-1 in the 72nd minute. An errant pass back to the defense was intercepted by Viking freshman forward Jasmine Moran (Falmouth, Mass.). Moran dribbled past a defender and fired a shot from the right side that tipped off the outstretched hands of the BSU netminder and under the crossbar.

After the Vikings potted the equalizer, the Bears kept up the pressure but were unable to convert until Belcher's last minute heroics.

Bridgewater State finished with a 41-3 shot advantage for the game as well as a 19-0 edge in corner kick attempts.

BSU senior netminder Tory Viola-Laughery (Brockton, Mass.) made one save to record her seventh win of the season between the pipes.

Both teams wrap up MASCAC and regular season play on Saturday at five o'clock. The Bears entertain the Trailblazers of MCLA, while the Vikings travel to Westfield State University to take on the Owls. Bridgewater will host Senior Day festivities prior to the start of Saturday's game.

Notes: Bridgewater State is 19-15-5 all-time versus the Vikings including an 11-6-3 mark at home. The two teams have met every season since BSU added women's soccer as a varsity sport in 1987.