Preview: Women's Soccer Goes For Home Win In MASCAC Semifinals
Click inside for a preview of Friday evening's MASCAC semifinal match-up between top-seeded Worcester State and fifth-seeded Bridgewater State.
ON THE WEB
You can follow this Fridays 7 PM MASCAC women's soccer semifinal round game against fifth-seeded UMass Dartmouth and #1 Worcester State on Video and Livestats.
THE SERIES
Since the two squads started playing each other in 1991, Bridgewater State holds the all-time series edge, 17-11-4.
The Lancers are 12-6-1 in the MASCAC Tournament since 2001 and 4-4-1 against Bridgewater State in the league playoffs. WSU claimed title victories in 2004, 2006 and 2010 while four of WSU's six setbacks in the tournament have come at the hands of the Bears - including a 3-1 loss in last years championship game.
EARLIER THIS SEASON
On Saturday, October 4 the Lancers defeated Bridgewater State, 1-0, for their third league victory of the season.
Senior Cassie Giardina (Pittsfield, MA) broke open a scoreless game when she slipped through the defense and knocked home a pass from classmate Kaleigh Evans (Saugus, MA) in the 86th minute.
Junior Jillian Witkowski (Leicester, MA) stopped all three shots on net she saw in the shutout while senior Kristen Reardon (Weymouth, MA) turned aside four for the Bears.
THE LANCERS
Worcester State (12-3-1) went unbeaten in MASCAC play and captured their fourth regular season league title with a 7-0 record to earn the top seed in the conference tournament.
On Tuesday, junior Alicia Macomber (Stoughton, MA) was honored as the MASCAC Player of the Year, freshman Justine Butler (Marlboro, MA) received a nod as the Rookie of the Year and seventh-year head coach Kevin Cumberbatch was the Champions Choice Coach of the Year.
Other all-conference honorees included senior teammates Shelby Archer (Dayville, CT) and Alyssa Sawyer (W. Springfield, MA) who both earned First-team accolades as midfielders and junior Kiley Hardy (Marlboro, MA) earned Second-team accolades for her play at center back.
Macomber tops the squad in scoring with 15 goals and 6 assists as she set the single-season program record with 36 points.
Junior Kendal Bergenholtz (N. Grafton, MA) is second on the club with 15 points (6 goals - 3 assists) as Evans (5 goals), Giardina (4 goals) and senior Sarina Lathrop (Hopedale, MA) (4 goals) are also threats to score
The defense has permitted just 15 goals to cross between the pipes and Witkowski has the second-best goals against average in the MASCAC (1.00 GAA).
Cumberbatch will try to guide the Lancers to their sixth conference tournament title and first since the 2010 season, a 1-0 victory over Bridgewater State.
THE BEARS
Bridgewater State (6-11-1, 3-4 MASCAC) upset fourth-seeded Salem State in Tuesday's quarterfinal round by outlasting the Vikings 4-2 in penalty kicks.
Reardon was a clutch performer for the Bears as she stopped 10 shots and junior Allison Lebel (Millis, MA) netted her first of the campaign with 2:52 remaining in regulation in the 1-1 draw.
All-MASCAC selections for Bridgewater State were Lebel, a first-team performer, and freshman Courtney Pepin (Uxbridge, MA).
Senior Mackenzie Hatfield (Whitman, MA) leads the squad in scoring with 14 goals and three helpers while Pepin has seven markers and four helpers to her credit on the campaign.
Reardon is 4-6-1 with a 1.86 goals against average in 11 starts.
The Bears defense has allowed 47 markers to go into the net this season for the second-highest total in the league, but only 13 in its last eight contests since facing off against Worcester State at the beginning of October.
MASCAC WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
The winner of this contest earns the right to compete for the MASCAC Tournament Championship on Sunday at the highest remaining seed. The winner of the playoff earns the conferences automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.
On the other side of the bracket, second-seeded Westfield State entertains #3 Framingham State at 7 PM on Friday.
The four remaining teams are the only institutions who have claimed a MASCAC Tournament title as Westfield State has earned four titles, Bridgewater State has captured three and Framingham State last won the crown in 2000 and 2001.
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