Lancers Place Four on MASCAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference Teams

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Worcester State had four student-athletes named to the 2021 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Soccer All-Conference teams, highlighted by a First Team selection for senior Megan Gurlitz (Auburn, Mass.).

Joining Gurlitz were Second Team selections Leah Fitzgerald (Upton, Mass.), Hailey Skowronski (Douglas, Mass.) and Kristen Beidleman (Holliston, Mass.).

The teams were voted on by the head coaches throughout the conference and announced by the MASCAC office on Wednesday. 

Gurlitz, a senior midfielder, started all 18 games for the Lancers, scoring four goals and leading the team with five assists for 13 points on the season. She was second on the team and top-12 in the conference in both goals and points, and tied for sixth in the MASCAC in assists. Gurlitz scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Curry, and converted on her only penalty kick attempt of the season to help the Lancers beat Gordon 2-0.

Fitzgerald, a mainstay in the starting lineup for the Lancers on defense, helped lead a Worcester State back-line that earned six shutouts and posted a 1.41 goals against average. Jumping up into attack, Fitzgerald scored three goals, including the game-winner on Senior Night against Mass. Maritime. She added an assist on the game-winning goal against Framingham State, collecting seven points on the season.

In her junior season, Skowronski started 17 games, scoring four times and adding one assist for 9 points. She scored the game-winner in a 2-0 win over Salve Regina on September 16^th and had a goal and an assist in the win over the Colonels.

Beidleman was a force in the Worcester State midfield, appearing in 15 game and making 12 starts. She set up the game-winning goal in a MASCAC victory over MCLA on September 18^th, and also created a goal against nationally ranked MIT on September 29^th.  

Behind the contributions and leadership of these four upperclassmen, the Lancers posted a 9-7-2 record this season, including a 5-2-1 conference mark. They earned the #2 seed in the MASCAC tournament and defeated Bridgewater State 3-2 in the semifinals before falling to top-ranked Westfield State 1-0 in the conference championship.