King's Game-Winner Caps Off Improbable Women's Lax Comeback

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State junior Lauren Geary (Hull, MA) finished with a game-highs of five goals, seven ground balls and nine draw controls, and sophomore Alex King (Weymouth, MA) poitted the game-tying and game-winning goals to pace the Bears to a dramatic comeback win over Worcester State in MASCAC women's lacrosse action on Saturday.

Bridgewater State improves to 9-8 in the triumph as the Bear overcame a 9-0 first half deficit. The Lancers fall to 12-5 in the setback. With identical 5-2 conference slates, the two squads are tied for second place with Fitchburg State in the final MASCAC regular season standings.

The Bears are seeded third in next week's MASCAC Tournament and will host a first round game against #6 Salem State on Tuesday. The Lancers are the four seed and will entertain #5 Framingham State in an opening round game also on Tuesday. Game times have yet to be determined. 

Other standouts for the visitors included senior Riley Cachelin (Westwood, MA) who registered two goals and six assists with three ground balls while King added a hat-trick.

Sophomore Alaina Martin (E. Longmeadow, MA) highlighted the Blue and Gold with a team-best five goals while junior Jackie Connors (Ashland, MA) chipped with three markers, eight draws and two caused turnovers.

Defensively, junior Katelyn Murphy (Billerica, MA) picked up five ground balls and she forced three miscues on the back line.

Trailing 12-4 as 19:15 remained in regulation, the Bears embarked on a furious rally and took control of the momentum by going on a 7-1 spurt over the next 7½ minutes, to trail 13-10 following a score by sophomore Melissa Renault (Framingham, MA).

Worcester State went back up by four after an unassisted tally by senior Jackie Lawlor (Westford, MA) with 10:44 left, but the Bears continued their torrid pace by closing out the game with the final five goals of the contest.

Ahead by two scores at the 4:14 mark, the Lancers tried to shave time off the scoreboard, however, King forced a key turnover and the Bears took advantage by getting within one goal of the lead when junior Marissa Yowell (Ashland, MA) found the back of the net.

Geary won the ensuing draw and King scored off the free position to knot the score at 14-14 with 55 seconds remaining.

The Bears completed the improbable comeback after freshman Brooke Buckner (Foxboro, MA) won the draw. King provided the heroics with just 22 seconds left as she capitalized on a free position attempt to give the Bears the 15-14 lead. 

The Blue and Gold had one final chance on the ensuing faceoff to force overtime, but Geary came up with the draw and the Bears ran out the clock to preserve the win.

Worcester State originally staked a 9-0 margin at the 5:27 mark of the opening frame as Martin notched four tallies for the hosts. Connors and senior Molly Kilday(Westford, MA) also had two goals apiece to help pace Worcester State.

Bridgewater State though didn't go away quietly as Geary and Cachelin both scored over the final five minutes of the first period, which narrowed the gap to seven at the intermission.

It was even play to start out the second period with both sides recording three goals apiece before the Bears went on their game-ending rally.

BSU sophomore Allie Forman (Marblehead, MA) stopped 10 shots for the visitors, which included five on free possession shots in the opening stanza, as her record moves to 7-8 between the pipes.

Worcester State sophomore Lea Robichaud (Holden, MA) turned aside 12 attempts on net. Robichaud fell to 12-4 in the loss.

Shots overall were even (29-29) as Bridgewater State led in ground balls (21-17) and the Lancers were ahead in draws (16-15). WSU was 3-for-9 on free position shots (1-for-7 in first half) while the Bears connected on four of their six bids from the eight-meter line.

In the final 20 minutes of regulation, BSU held a 12-3 margin in draws as Geary came up with seven of them for the visitors.

Cachelin now has 54 assists on the year as she joins former BSU standout Shannon Manning as the only two Bears with 50-plus helpers in a season. Manning dished out a school record 57 assists in 2010.