Women's Soccer Downs Plymouth State, 4-2

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Bridgewater State University scored the first four goals of the game Saturday evening and held on for a 4-2 victory over Plymouth State University in a rain-shortened women's soccer game at soggy Panther Field.

The Bears opened up a 3-0 lead midway through the first half, and extended the margin to four midway through the second half.  PSU came alive despite the rainy conditions, scoring two goals in a four-minute stretch, but the weather got so bad the referee stopped the game with 16:47 remaining.  Bridgewater State remains undefeated on the season (3-0-1) while PSU is now 0-3.

Senior Molly Copeland  (North Falmouth, Mass.) started the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute of the game, finishing off a cross from freshman Mackenzie Hatfield (Whitman, Mass.) with a shot under the charging PSU keeper.  Hatfield then broke through the Panther defense for a breakaway five minutes later, made a move around the keeper and shot the ball into the open net to make it 2-0.  Junior Katie Nasuti (Millbury, Mass.) blasted a shot from the top of the box just inside the left post with 20 minutes on the clock to put the Bears up by three.

PSU nearly got on the board with seven minutes left in the first half but a free kick from just outside the box by sophomore Emily Bell (Derry, N.H.) hit the post, and the Bears took the three-goal lead into halftime.

The Panthers almost got on the board again midway through the second half but a shot by junior Laura Davis (Pelham, N.Y.) bounced off the crossbar.  Three minutes later, freshman Jenna Berthiaume (Berkley, Mass.) scored for BSU, lifting a floater over the keeper's head from 20 yards out.

Plymouth State finally scored with 21 minutes remaining when Davis took a free kick and blasted one past the keeper to the top left corner, and PSU made it a 4-2 game in the 72nd minute when Bell finished off a cross from junior Cassie Graham (Foster, R.I.).  They were the first goals of the season by both Davis and Bell, but a minute later, the game was halted by the officials.

PSU plays its next three games on the road, beginning Wednesday at Endicott College.  BSU returns home to host Brandeis on Tuesday.