Owls Athletics Ramp Up Again in 2026

WESTFIELD, Mass. – After a two-week hiatus for the holiday break, Westfield State Athletics will be back in action this weekend with men's ice hockey and men's and women's basketball resuming play in the New Year, including the first home event of 2026 with men's basketball on Saturday at 12:00 P.M.

Friday, January 2 – Men's Ice Hockey at Western Connecticut (4:00 P.M.)

The first Owls athletics game of the year sends hockey to Danbury, Conn. to take on Western Connecticut (1-9) for a 4:00 P.M. puck drop. The Owls had a productive first half of the season, registering a 7-4 overall record including a 4-1 mark in conference play, tied for first in the MASCAC with 12 points.

Westfield enters the game after winning six of their last seven games, including their most recent 5-4 triumph over Assumption College before the break. Leading the Owls in points is junior forward Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) who's tallied a team-high six goals and eight assists for 14 points.

Pichette along with Raphael Seguin (Saint-Lazar, Quebec) and Louis Ouellet (Baie-Comeau, Quebec) are all tied for second in the conference with eight assists.

In goal, Aiden Winslow (Jacksonville, Fla.) has started in 10 of 11 games for the Owls, posting a 6-4 record with a 3.32 goals against and an .887 save percentage.

Saturday, January 3 – Men's Basketball vs Salve Regina (12:00 P.M. – Woodward Center)

Westfield hosts Salve Regina in the first home event of 2026 as the Owls look to extend their four-game winning streak built prior to the break. The Owls are currently 8-2 on the season while the Seahawks sit at 7-1 before facing Roger Williams and Westfield.

The Owls most recent games came in New York, picking up two wins in less than 24 hours after an 80-68 win over John Jay followed by a 59-54 victory at Purchase College to conclude the 2025 slate.

Sophomore point-forward Kenney Rogers (Springfield, Mass.) stuffed the stat sheet in the early stages of the season. Rogers leads the Owls in points at 16.5, which is top five in the conference and also leads the MASCAC with 4.3 assists per game. His 9.0 rebounds per game is fourth in the league. In the Owls last home game, Rogers recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists as part of an 86-59 blowout over Colby-Sawyer.

Three other Owls join Rogers in double figure scoring: A.Z. Allah (13.1), Jason James (12.6), and Xavier Lewis (11.7) while Joe Thomson (Sunderland, Mass.) leads the MASCAC in rebounding at 11.6 per game.

Salve Regina is led by 6-8 forward Jack Margoupis who averages 19.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds.

Saturday, January 3 – Women's Basketball at Dean College (12:00 P.M.)

Also playing on Saturday is women's basketball which visits Dean College in a noon tip-off from Peiri Gymnasium in Franklin, Mass. The Owls open 2026 with a 7-3 overall record and will play one final non-conference game before entering MASCAC action the following week. Dean rolls into the matchup having won four straight games, moving their season mark to 5-6.

Senior guard Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass.) leads the MASCAC with 4.3 steals per game and is coming off a six-steal effort against Nichols. She is second on the team with 9.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Caroline Galvani (Framingham, Mass.) recently posted a career-high 18-point effort in a 74-70 win against Sage and is averaging 8.6 points per game.

Bulldogs forward Abigail Lacy is scoring a team-high 20.1 points and last game piled up 34 points in a win against Fisher.

Video and live stats for all three games can be found at WestfieldStateOwls.com.