Ratcliffe, Owls Plunder Vikings 6-2

SALEM, Mass. -- Westfield State sophomore forward Jake Ratcliffe (Canterbury, New Zealand) scored a pair of goals to lead the Owls to a 6-2 win over Salem State in Masachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Thursday night.

The Owls' three-goal surge in the second period propelled Westfield State to their seventh win of the season (7-3-4). The Owls are now 5-1-2 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). Salem State dips to 2-10-2 on the year and 2-5 in the MASCAC.

With 11:24 into the first period, Daniel Backstrom (Helsinki, Finland) raced down the ice and found Ratcliffe in the slimmest gap past a Vikings defender. Ratcliffe then shot towards the near post to put the Owls up 1-0.

Later in the period, the Vikings tied the score 1-1, as Landon Hasenfuss (Hanover, Mass.) was next to Westfield State's crease and delivered the puck to Eamonn Miller (Victoria, British Columbia) in the middle, who shot it into the right side of the net with 4:48 remaining in the period.

The Owls took back the lead quickly when Danny Totten (L'Ile-Perrot, Quebec) scored a goal. Paul Frys (Portland, Oreg.) caught Salem State out of position with only goalie Sean Cleary (Barnstable, Mass.) to defend, he passed it to Totten who, launched a slapshot, putting Westfield State ahead 2-1 with 3:34 to finish the first period.

In the second, John-Michael DeGregorio (Montreal, Quebec) passed it to a trailing Francois-Xavier Girard (St. Lazare, Quebec) who tipped it into the goal as the Owls led 3-1 with 11:17 to go in the second period.

Westfield State went on to score two more goals in the second period from Justin Alves (5:13) and Ratcliffe (1:41) to lead 5-1. Both goals were scored on power plays.

The freshman DiGregorio would add a shorthanded goal in the third, and Salem's Richard Coyle would tack on a goal in garbage time to round out the scoring for the evening.

Thierry Messervier (Montreal, Quebec) stood tall in net for the Owls, making 26 saves on the night as the Vikings, despite the scoring total, outshot the Owls 28-22.

The Owls remain on the road as they travel to Plymouth on Saturday night for a big MASCAC matchup with the Panthers of Plymouth State. As a reminder, the game was moved up to a 5:00 p.m. start.