By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Framingham State University lacrosse team maintained its hold on first place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Saturday afternoon.

The Rams improved to 4-0 in the conference with a 10-8 victory over Bridgewater State University at Mazzaferro Field.

The Bears (3-2) were looking to overtake Framingham State and move into the top spot with a win.

BSU was held to its second-lowest goal total of the season by the Rams (8-6 overall) and fell to 11-4 with its third loss in the last five games.

Senior Hailey Baker (Peabody, Mass.) led Framingham State with five goals and two assists while freshman Madeline Bosma (Orange, Conn.) and junior Kelley DeBellis (New Fairfield, Conn.) scored two goals apiece for the Rams.

Junior Meredith Sylvia (South Dartmouth, Mass.) scored four goals for BSU while graduate student Savannah Herrington (Kinnelon, N.J.) scored twice. Senior Camryn Gonsalves (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had a goal and two assists.

The game was tied, 3-3, after one period and BSU was behind, 6-5, at halftime. Framingham State had the only goal of the third period and both teams scored three times in the final period.

The Bears closed within 9-8 with 1:35 left, but they were unable to get the tying score.

Framingham State took a 2-0 lead just 3:01 into the game on goals by senior Leah Green (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Baker.

The Bears scored three goals in a row with Sylvia, Herrington and Sylvia scoring in a span of less than seven minutes. Sylvia's strike gave the hosts their only lead of the afternoon.

Bosma tied the game for the Rams with 2:51 left in the period.

Baker scored the first two goals of the second period for a 5-3 Framingham State lead before a Herrington goal. DeBellis of the Rams and Sylvia scored in the final five minutes of the half.

Baker had the only goal of the third period with 5:47 remaining, putting the Rams up, 7-5, entering the last 15 minutes.

Sylvia cut the margin to 7-6, but Bosma and DeBellis upped the lead to 9-6 with 7:35 remaining.

Gonsalves scored with 3:15 left and junior Ashley Silva (Rowley, Mass.) made it 9-8 with 1:35 to play, but the only goal the rest of the way was scored by Baker with one second left.

Freshman goalkeeper Sara Skaff (Lowell, Mass.) made 10 saves for the Bears while junior Bella DiMare (Wakefield, Mass.) had nine stops between the pipes for Framingham State.

Freshman Kaleigh Houlihan (Franklin, Mass.) had a solid game defensively for the Rams with game-high totals of five caused turnovers and eight ground balls.

BSU hosted the Breast Cancer Awareness Game when it faced Framingham State.

The Bears are home against Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they play the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

The Rams host Worcester State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.