Bridgewater State and Worcester State Advance to Women's Soccer Semifinals
After close games decided by a single goal, the Bridgewater State Bears and the Worcester State Lancers women's soccer teams advance to the semifinals on Friday.
BRIDGEWATER & WORCESTER, Mass. -- After close games decided by a single goal, the Bridgewater State Bears and the Worcester State Lancers women's soccer teams advance to the semifinals on Friday, November 8.
Playing the first game of the day, third-seeded Bridgewater State hosted sixth-seeded MCLA. Neither team could find the back of the net throughout the first period of play. It wasn't until the 63rd minute that the Bears Megan O'Leary netted her first goal of the season from 30 yards out to give them the 1-0 advantage.
That lone goal was all Bridgewater State would need to seal their fate into the semifinals on Friday. The Trailblazers were held to only seven shots on the afternoon with none of them on goal.
With the win earlier in the day, the Bears earned a Friday night match-up with the second-seeded and last year's conference champion Westfield State Owls. Being the higher seed, the Owls will host at 7 p.m. in Westfield, Mass. The winner of that game will compete Sunday for the MASCAC championship.
In the night cap, the fourth-seeded Worcester State entertained the fifth-seeded Salem State Vikings. The two teams were evenly matched throughout most of the game, only having four shots between the two at the end of the first period.
The Lancers made more attempts in the second, but they were unable to find the back of the net and were forced into overtime.
It was senior Gaby Gonet who would nab the game-winner for Worcester State seven minutes in overtime. On a free kick from about 20 yards out, Gonet fired one into the right corner past the fingertips of Salem State goalie Rachel Ledbetter.
The Lancers punched their ticket to a semifinal face off with first-seeded Framingham State on Friday. The two squads will meet in Framingham, Mass. at 11 a.m. to decide who heads to the championship game Sunday.
