Vincent's Hat Trick Leads Women's Soccer to 4-1 Senior Day Win over Fitchburg State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Senior forward Alana Vincent (Taunton, Mass.) netted a hat trick to lead the Bridgewater State University women's soccer team to a 4-1 Senior Day victory over Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) foe Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.

The Bears improve to 10-6 on the season and 5-1 in the MASCAC with their fifth straight win and the 300th in the history of the program. The Falcons fall to 5-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play. Bridgewater State has won each of the last nine meetings of the two teams. The Bears also hold a 23-3-2 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1993, including a 14-1 mark at home.

Senior Emma Sanders (Seekonk, Mass.) scored off a corner kick 5:41 into the contest to give the Bears the early 1-0 lead. Sanders collected a loose ball, after a Falcon failed clearance attempt, and drilled a shot into the back of the net from ten yards out for her fourth goal of the season.

Vincent extended the BSU lead to 2-0 in the 37th minute. Off a short pass from junior defender Samantha Tomaszewski (Sterling, Mass.), Vincent turned and buried a well-placed shot inside the far post from the left side of the 18.

Vincent made it a 3-0 game in the 64th minute with a long-range shot from 30 yards out with freshman midfielder Kelly Powers (Stoneham, Mass.) picking up the assist. Vincent's shot from the right side sailed over the outstretched hand of the leaping Fitchburg netminder and inside the far post.

Four minutes later, Vincent completer the hat trick with her team and MASCAC-leading 16th marker of the season. Sanders slid a crossing pass into the six and Vincent tapped it into the unguarded center of the cage. Tomaszewski also assisted on the goal.

The Falcons broke up the shutout bid on a header goal by freshman midfielder Lindsay LeBlond (Candia, N.H.) off a corner kick in the 69th minute. Freshman midfielder Kai Paddock-Picano (Waltham, Mass.) redirected the corner attempt to LeBlond who headed the ball inside the right post. Freshman midfielder Elizabeth Read (Lowell, Mass.), who took the corner, was credited with the secondary assist.

The Bears finished with a 32-5 shot advantage for the game as well as a 7-1 edge in corner kick attempts.

BSU senior goalkeeper Kellie Souza (Wilmington, Mass.) made one save as she recorded her tenth win of the season and 19th of her career. Junior netminder Sarah Hemmings (Eastham, Mass.) turned aside seven shots in the setback for the Falcons.

Prior to the game, the Bears honored seniors Allison Aldred (Saugus, Mass.), Kaitlyn Bongarzone (Mansfield, Mass.), Amelia Burke (Plymouth, Mass.), Sanders, Souza and Vincent.

Both teams are back in action on Tuesday. The Bears travel to UMass Boston for a seven o'clock game with the Beacons, while the Falcons entertain the Lynx of Lesley University at four.

Notes: With her three goals, Vincent increased her career totals to 33 goals and 79 points as she moved into fifth place on the Bears' all-time scoring list and into a tie for fourth place on the all-time goal scoring list. She passed Kaitlyn Lamothe who recorded 76 points from 2007 to 2008 and equaled Lamothe's career total of 33 goals….Vincent now has 39 points (16G, 7A) on the year which is tied for fourth among the Bears' single-season leaders. BSU Hall of Famer Kathy Conley also notched 39 points in 1990….Sanders  moved into sole possession of third place among the Bears' all-time assist leaders with her 21st career helper.