BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Senior defender Sydney Dewhurst (East Bridgewater, Mass.) broke a scoreless tie with 10:24 remaining in the contest to lift the Bridgewater State University women's soccer team to a 1-0 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Salem State University on Saturday afternoon at Mazzaferro Field.
The Bears improve to 6-4 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in the MASCAC while the Vikings fall to 3-8-1 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Bridgewater State is 21-15-5 all-time versus the Vikings. The two teams have met every season since BSU added women's soccer as a varsity sport in 1987.
Bridgewater dominated play throughout the contest and had numerous chances to put a shot past Salem senior goalkeeper Lily Pfefferle (St. Paul, Minn.) who finished with 18 saves on the afternoon.
The Bears held a decided 35-2 shot advantage for the game as well as a 10-1 edge in corner kick attempts.
BSU senior forward Stephanie Spear (Blackstone, Mass.) had an outstanding chance off a nice feed from sophomore midfielder Jenna Sweeney (Wilmington, mass.) with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Pfefferle, however, made a terrific diving stop to keep the game scoreless.
The Bears had two glorious opportunities early in the second half. Spear chipped one over the crossbar less than a minute into the stanza and senior midfielder Makenna Lessard (East Bridgewater, Mass.) hit the crossbar in the 50th minute.
Senior forward Audra McDuffie (Millbury, Mass.) got behind the defense off a short thru-ball from sophomore midfielder Abigail Shea (Somerset, Mass.) but was in a bit too close to Pfefferle who made the diving stop.
Pfefferle turned aside a long bast from Dewhurst in the 67th minute. Sophomore forward Skylar Conrad (Walpole, Mass.) collected the rebound but slipped the shot wide of the left post.
That would set the stage for Dewhurst's heroics in the 80th minute. Sophomore defender Lauren Sellmayer (North Easton, Mass.) sent a well-placed corner kick inside the six and Dewhurst headed it home for her team-leading fifth goal of the season and MASCAC-leading fourth game-winner.
BSU sophomore goalkeeper Logan Levesque (Bristol, R.I.) was forced to make just one save as she recorded her fifth win and fourth shutout of the season.
In upcoming action, the Bears host the Jumbos of Tufts University on Tuesday night at seven o'clock. The Vikings are off until next Saturday afternoon when they travel to MCLA for a one o'clock MASCAC game with the Trailblazers.