Westfield State rookie Brett Williams scored the game winner on a one-timer 2:56 into the third period and Valtteri Valtonen made 44 saves as the Owls rallied past Johnson and Wales in the hockey season opener for both teams at Amelia Park Ice Arena on Friday night.
Westfield State (1-0) advances to tomorrow night's championship game of the Western Mass Invitational, co-hosted by Westfield State and Western New England, and the Owls will host Franklin Pierce at 7:35 tomorrow at Amelia Park.
JWU (0-1) will play in the consolation final against WNE at 4:35 at Amelia Park. Franklin Pierce was a 5-2 winner over the Golden Bears in the other first round game, played at the Olympia tonight.
Johnson and Wales jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Owls, getting a first period marker from Carter Elrod as he batted in the rebound of a shot from Maxime Dumas. The Wildcats led 2-0 just 32 seconds into the second as Conner Lindsoe stuffed in the puck off some good passing from Brendan Shandley and Dumas.
Westfield finally got on the scoreboard at the 16:16 mark of the second as Kasper Korhonen gathered the loose puck at center ice and tallied on a breakaway.
Westfield tied the game just over a minute later on a defensive miscue from the Wildcats left the puck loose in the high slot, and Julian Bosclair got off a 1-on-1 shot that was saved, then gathered the loose puck in the left corner, and fed Tom Skold who crashed the left post and buried the puck to tie the game.
Westfield got the winner when senior centerman Mathieu Jones pulled the puck back to Williams at the top of the right face off circle, and Williams blast to the top shelf proved to be the game winner.
Valtonen withstood the Wildcats pressure late, including a save with seconds left and Wildcats netminder Jacob Perrin pulled for the extra attacked.
Valtonen came up with a clutch save on a breakaway midway through the second period, and the Owls skated off a 5-minute major midway through the second as well.
Perrin finished with 30 saves for Johnson and Wales.