By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University women's soccer team improved to 3-0 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Saturday afternoon.
Five different players netted goals in a 5-0 victory over the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at Mazzaferro Field.
The Bears are now 18-0-1 in their last 19 MASCAC regular-season games dating back to Oct. 15, 2023. Bridgewater is 30-8-4 all-time against MCLA including a 20-2-1 mark at home.
BSU (3-4 overall) scored three times in the first half and added two second-half goals against the Trailblazers (1-5, 1-1 MASCAC).
The Bears outshot MCLA, 35-1, and had a 12-0 edge in shots on goal and a 12-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Senior Olivia Robarge (Pepperell, Mass.) started the scoring at 17:11, assisted by junior Natalie Mattos (Fairhaven, Mass.).
Mattos beat a MCLA defender along the goal line from the left side, and a tough angle shot went off the post and to Robarge, who tapped the ball over the goal line for her sixth goal.
The lead went to 2-0 at 31:42 on an unassisted goal by senior Jenna Sweeney (Wilmington, Mass.), her fourth of the season.
Sweeney beat a defender and dribbled in from outside the 18, then tucked a shot from 12 yards out inside the left post.
Junior Kacey Parker (Attleboro, Mass.) made it 3-0 at 32:49 with her first goal, assisted by junior Caroline McCormack (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and senior Erin Richards (Plymouth, Mass.).
After a restart, McCormack headed the ball to Parker, who lobbed a one-timer inside the right post from just outside the six for her first collegiate goal.
McCormack scored her second goal of the season at 49:21, assisted by Robarge. McCormack took a crossing pass and one-timed it into the back of the cage.
Junior Nina DiRusso (Braintree, Mass.) netted her first collegiate goal at 62:05 with sophomore Juliana Matos (Taunton, Mass.) getting her first career assist.
After taking a short pass, DiRusso sent a long shot from outside the 18 into the goal.
Senior Logan Levesque (Bristol, R.I.) did not have to make a save in recording the 21st shutout of her career and 33rd win.
Sophomore Mallory Amirian (Haverhill, Mass.) stopped seven shots in the MCLA net.
BSU is home again on Wednesday night, facing Roger Williams at 7 p.m.
MCLA will host Bay Path on Wednesday at 4 p.m.