GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Alison Vautrin (Somerset, Mass./Somerset-Berkley Regional) and senior Melissa Flynn (Stoneham, Mass.) each earned two points as the Bridgewater State University Bears defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 7-1, in a Little East Conference women's tennis match Saturday afternoon at the Gorham High School courts.

            The win was the second straight the Bears who improved to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in LEC play.  The Huskies dropped their sixth straight match to finish the season at 3-12 overall and 1-7 in the conference.

            Junior Molly Gallagher (South Portland, Maine/Deering) earned the Huskies' lone point of the afternoon with a 6-4, 6-2 win over freshman Alisha Silva (East Taunton, Mass./Taunton) at #2 singles.  Gallagher finished the season 9-3 overall and 5-1 in LEC matches.

            The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead sweeping the three doubles matches.  Vautrin combined with freshman Bojana Roman (Somerset, Mass./Somerset-Berkley Regional) for an 8-1 win at #2 doubles, and Flynn paired with Silva for a hard-fought, 8-6 win over Gallagher and junior Sarah Hill (Topsham, Maine/Mt. Ararat) at #1 doubles.

            Vautrin came back to edge Hill in a super tiebreaker 10-6 at #1 singles after splitting the first two sets, 6-7(4), 7-6(4).  Flynn took a straight-sets win over sophomore Liz Martin (Naugatuck, Conn./Woodland Regional) at #3 singles.

            Bridgewater State will move on to the LEC Women's Tennis Championship Tournament that begins Tuesday. 

-ble-