Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Junior forward Conor Murtagh (Walpole, Mass.) recorded a hat trick to lead the Bridgewater State University Bears to a 4-0 shutout victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in first game of the USM Invitational Friday afternoon at Hannaford Field in Gorham, Maine.
With both teams competing in their season-opening games, BSU stands at 1-0 and will face the United State Coast Guard Academy Bears on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Bears defeated Salve Regina University Seahawks 3-2 in overtime in the second game of the day. Southern Maine, 0-1 with the loss, will face Seahawks (0-1) at 3:00 p.m.
Murtagh gave the Bears the lead early notching his first goal of the game in the 17th minute. Murtagh burst through the Huskies' defense on the left side of the field to beat USM sophomore goalkeeper Elijah Leverett (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely) to the far post. BSU took its 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Bears' senior David Wilson (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional) set up Murtagh's second goal of the game with a well-timed through ball to give Murtagh a breakaway chance at net in the 62nd minute. Murtagh snagged the hat trick two minutes later, again sliding in behind the Huskies' defense, off of an assist from junior Charlie Lawson (Plympton, Mass./Silver Lake Regional)
Junior Andrew Chenard (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake Regional) scored the Bears fourth and final goal in the 78th minute, heading in his first goal of the season off of a service from freshman Justin Asam (Milford, Mass.).
Leverett made five saves in the loss for USM. BSU sophomore Colin Jepson (Sandwich, Mass./Upper Cape Cod Regional Voc. Tech) made one save en route to the shutout.
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