Andrade Powers Owls into MASCAC Championship Game

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior forward Coleby Andrade (Falmouth, Mass.) scored twice, and Ethan Margolis (Wakefield, Mass.) added a goal and an assist to lead Westfield State to a 4-2 victory over Fitchburg State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference semifinal match from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. on Friday night.

The Owls are returning to the conference championship game for the second consecutive season and will host the league title game on Sunday against fifth-seeded Salem State at noon from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. The Falcons season has come to an end with tonight's defeat. Salem defeated top-seeded Bridgewater State in penalty kicks earlier in the day.

Westfield (8-6-5) opened the game's scoring inside the 15-minute mark with Tim Tkacz (Suffield, Conn.) driving a free kick into the box where Carter Hebert (Easthampton, Mass.) headed the ball to his left and into the center of the penalty area to Andrade who deposited the goal to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.

The Owls extended their lead to two goals in the first half with Tkacz in the middle of the scoring again. He carried the ball inside the offensive 20-yard line where his first cross was blocked by a Fitchburg defender. The rebound came back to Tkacz who served a second ball into the box which was tracked down by Margolis who angled a header towards the far post and into the net to push the lead to 2-0 with about 22 minutes left in the half.

Fitchburg cut the deficit in half with three minutes to play as Nathan Youngquest (Lowell, Mass.) drew a foul inside the penalty box, setting up a penalty kick. Zachariah Foster (Brockton, Mass.) was selected for the PK try, delivering for the Falcons after driving a low shot to the left-hand corner of the net as Luke Theroux (Chicopee, Mass.) dove in the opposite direction, making it a 2-1 halftime score.

The Owls regained a two-goal advantage after an incredible redirected header from Andrade who received the ball from Margolis on a 25-yard boot into the box. Andrade managed to head the ball up and over Falcons goalkeeper Alexander Carvalho (North Providence, R.I.) and into the net for a 3-1 lead with 38:36 left in the game.

Westfield had several chances to extend the lead to three goals including a penalty kick attempt from Hebert which was shut down by Carvalho on a diving save to his right. Another dangerous chance followed with 28 minutes to go, this time from Sonny Mazza (East Longmeadow, Mass.) who rocketed a shot off the post with a return shot later in the possession from Tkacz that was saved by Carvalho.

The Falcons refused to go away, cutting the Owls lead back to one goal with just over 13 minutes to play. Anthony Oliveira-Dalicandro (Waltham, Mass.) fed a pass to Michael Vazquez (Worcester, Mass.) who launched a left-footed strike from twenty yards out into the top left corner of the net in a place that Theroux could not get to, making it a 3-2 contest.

2:27 after the Fitchburg goal, the Owls had a timely answer to build up their third two-goal lead of the night. Tkacz sent a free kick into the box, which was headed down by Margolis towards Hebert, who then tallied the Owls fourth marker of the night, essentially putting the game out of reach.

Westfield held a slight 20-16 shot advantage over Fitchburg. Theroux (W, 7-4-4) made four saves while Carvalho (L, 4-3-2) recorded five saves.

The Owls are in search of their first MASCAC Championship title since 2012. For the latest information regarding the men's soccer MASCAC Championship game, visit WestfieldStateOwls.com.