Fitchburg State Fall to Bridgewater State, 23-6 In MASCAC Opener

Darrigo registers single game record 22 saves for Falcons

FITCHBURG, Mass. (March 28, 2013) – The Fitchburg State women's lacrosse team opened conference play this afternoon, falling to Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Bridgewater State, 23-6 at Sodexo Field on the campus of Franklin Pierce University.

Bridgewater State raced out to a commanding 8-1 lead in the first 19 minutes of action. Senior attacker Jill Caramello (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) led the offensive charge, scoring three of the Bears first four goals, while freshman Lauren Geary (Hull, Mass./Hull) added two scores. The Falcons closed out the half with markers from sophomore Kayla Bridges (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) and junior Markie Apple (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) to cut the lead to 8-3 going into intermission.

In the second stanza, Fitchburg State opened the period with a quick goal from Bridges at the 26:33 mark but the visitors proceeded to go on a 9-1 run over the next ten minutes with Caramello registering four more markers, while five other Bears also notched goals en-route to the 23-6 victory.

With the win Bridgewater State improves to 6-0 on the season and 1-0 in the MASCAC, while Fitchburg State falls to 1-3 on the year and 0-1 within the conference.

The Bears received a stellar performance from Caramello, who amassed a game-high ten points on eight goals and a pair of assists, while Geary registered seven points with five scores and two helpers. Junior Taylor Clancy (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) and senior Shelby Farland (Fiskdale, Mass./Fiskdale) chipped in with three points apiece. For the Falcons, Bridges and junior Chelsea Roberts (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) each collected a pair of scores, while senior Jessica Bartlett (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) and Apple finished with one tallies apiece.

Bridgewater State was dominate all game, holding a 48-12 advantage in shots, while also finishing with a 21-10 margin in draw controls, while the Falcons notched 23 ground balls including a team-best six Bridges. In net, freshman Elizabeth Darrigo (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) collected a single season record 22 saves for the Falcons, surpassing the previous record of 20 held by former Falcon Ashley Davison vs Worcester State on April 8, 2008 , while freshman Chandler Ross (Wrentham. Mass./Wrentham) picked up the victory, stopping six shots for the Bears.

Fitchburg State (1-3, 0-1 MASCAC) returns to action on Tuesday as it visits the Raiders of Rivier University at 7 p.m. Bridgewater State (6-0, 1-0 MASCAC) will host the University of New England on Tuesday at 6 p.m.