A torrential downpour on gameday was not the only storm on the forecast for the Hawks, as men’s soccer poured four goals on the scoreboard against Bridgewater State University in a shutout victory at Bayside Field.

The Hawks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first half during their out of conference matchup on Sept. 28 behind two goals from senior captain Jack Wetzel.

Each goal was assisted off the boot of sophomore midfielder CJ Sousa coming within two minutes of each other.

The quick start by the Hawks is something that Head Coach James Greenslit has been waiting to see from his team this season.

“Throughout the season we’ve been really inconsistent with how we get ready for games,” said Greenslit, referring to previous matchups where the Hawks fell behind early against eighth-ranked Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Wheaton College and suffered shutout losses.

“It’s not about when the whistle blows you turn the light switch on… and I think they’ve responded to that,” said Greenslit.

The strong showing by the Hawks carried over into the second half as their defense was tested by several offensive pushes by the Bears. A corner kick in the 51st minute and a shot on goal in the final minute of the game almost ended the Hawks’ hope for a shutout victory – something the team had only accomplished once this season.

“We wanted to keep a shutout,” said Greenslit when asked what his message to the team at halftime was.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hawks packed in their players to shrink the field and create tighter gaps. The strategy ultimately proved effective in preventing the Bears from easily penetrating into the teeth of their defense for close shot opportunities.

“When it came down to it, guys put their bodies on the line. There were a couple good blocks, a couple good saves,” said Greenslit.

The Hawks hit the pitch next on Oct. 2, when they travel to Beverley, Mass. to face Endicott College at 7 p.m.