Souza's Four-Goal Effort Lifts Field Hockey to 6-0 MASCAC Win Over Salem State

By Jim Fenton

SALEM, Mass. -- For the third time in her career, Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.) had a four-goal game for the Bridgewater State University field hockey team.

The sophomore forward led the Bears to a fourth straight win, 6-0, over Salem State University at Alumni Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier this season, Souza also scored four goals in a win over Maine-Farmington and had four goals against Anna Maria College last season.

Souza, who has scored three goals in two other games this season, was one goal shy of equaling the BSU record set by Brittany Cullinane on Sept. 20, 2016.

Entering the week, Souza was third nationally in Division III in goals per game. She leads the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with 24 goals and 54 points.

Souza is now third on the BSU all-time single-season goal scoring list, trailing Shelby Farland (32 in 2012) and Karen Crouteau (29 in 1982). The four goals against Salem State moved her past Samantha Hayes (23), Bethany Bush (22) and Cullinane (21).

The Bears improved to 11-2 and 7-1 in the MASCAC with their second win of the season over the Vikings (5-7, 3-5).

Senior goalkeeper Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) recorded her third shutout of the season and lowered her goals against average to 1.39. She made six saves against Salem State, which had a two game winning streak stopped.

The Bears held a 2-0 halftime lead, added a goal in the third period and three more in the final 15 minutes to improve to 6-0 on the road.

Souza opened the scoring just 2:22 in with sophomore Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.) assisting. The goal was scored off a scramble in front.

The lead went to 2-0 at 11:35 when junior Abbie Zuber (Westport, Mass.) scored her 16th goal of the season, assisted by sophomore Taylor Carter (East Walople, Mass.). Zuber scored after a penalty corner to complete the first-half scoring.

Souza made it 3-0 at 31:54 after a penalty corner with Zuber getting her seventh assist of the season.

Zuber ranks second behind Souza in the MASCAC in goals and points (39).

BSU scored three times in 7:07 in the final period.

Souza netted her third goal at 47:14 with senior Raegen Perry (Nantucket, Mass.) assisting off a penalty corner.

Rose then scored her seventh goal at 52:32 and Souza added an unassisted goal at 54:21. Souza finished with nine shots on goal.

BSU outshot Salem State, 25-9, and had a 10-3 edge in penalty corners.

Vikings junior goalkeeper Izzy Mosley (Middleboro, Mass.) made 15 saves.

The Bears will be home on Saturday for a noon game against Anna Maria.

Salem State is at Framingham State on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Notes: Souza now has 54 points on the season as she is tied with 2025 BSU Hall of Famer Bethany Bush for third place on the Bears' single-season scoring list....Souza increased her career output to 36 goals and 80 points. She ranks sixth all-time at BSU in goals and seventh in points....Zuber now has 25 goals and 20 assists for 70 points in her career. She is fifth all-time at Bridgewater State in assists and ninth in scoring.