Owls Knocked Off Track at Worcester

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State sophomore forward Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) scored the game's opening goal but Worcester State tallied three consecutive goals as part of a 4-2 Owls setback in a MASCAC contest from Fidelity Bank Ice Center in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday afternoon.

The Owls fall back down to the .500 mark in the conference, now sitting at 6-6 in league play and 10-9 overall. The Lancers have now won three straight games, all against conference opponents, to improve to 9-8-1 on the season and 6-5-1 in the MASCAC.

Westfield got the scoring started midway through the first period as Emile Tremblay (Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec) found Pichette for his seventh goal of the season to put the Owls ahead 1-0.

With 6:46 left in the first period, Worcester found the equalizer off the stick of Stirling Nash (Seattle, Wash.) on an assist from Matthew Nuzzolilo (Worcester, Mass.).

Despite the Owls doubling the Lancers shot on goal in the first, Westfield found themselves trailing entering the first intermission after Brian Clougherty (Lynn, Mass.) put Worcester in front 1:15 after tying the game. Westfield outshot Worcester 18-9 in the first period as Lancers goalie Wyatt Friedlander (Lake Placid, N.Y.) recorded 17 saves in the opening frame to keep the home team ahead.  

Neither team found the back of the net in a scoreless second period as the Owls trailed 2-1 heading into the third period. Worcester got a critical insurance marker from Martin Dlugolinsky (Stara Lubovna, Slovakia) with 4:23 left, placing the Owls in a two-goal deficit.

With three minutes to go in regulation, the Owls pulled Aiden Winslow (Jacksonville, Fla.) from the net, adding an extra skater while also finding the back of the net with 2:21 left to go. Jesper Seeberg (Lake Worth, Fla.) sent the puck to Cooper Board (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) who dished a pass to William Chausse (La Prairie, Quebec) who scored his third goal of the season, registering goals in back-to-back games to draw Westfield within one goal.

Westfield removed Winslow from goal for a second time with 1:08 remaining in search of a game-tying goal, but were unable to do so as a shot from Brett Williams (Easton, Mass.) was stopped by Friedlander, then with 15 seconds left a shot from Board was blocked, resulting in an empty net goal from Brigham Neuhold (Edmond, Okla.).

Westfield outshot Worcester 38-23 in the contest with Friedlander making 36 saves for the Lancers. Winslow stopped 19 shots on goal for the Owls who were also held without a goal on five man-advantage chances.

Westfield State, which finds themselves in the middle of the pack in the MASCAC standings, will host the league's top team on Thursday night as the Owls take on Plymouth State from Amelia Park Arena at 7:35 P.M.