Owls Hockey Hosts Salem in Conference Semifinals Tuesday

Westfield Mass.- The Westfield State University men's hockey lives to see another game as they move into the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference semifinal game against the Salem State Vikings. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, at 7:35 at Amelia Park Ice Arena in Westfield, Mass.

Westfield holds a 13-11-2 overall record. Salem State is marked at 11-12 on the year.

How We Got Here:

The Owls were victorious in the quarterfinal match, besting the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth 2-1 in an overtime thriller. Chuck Costello (Philadelphia, Penn.) tied the game at one in the second stanza with a ripper to the top left corner and past the screened goaltender. The game remained tied until 1:37 into the extra period as Justin Collins (Wilmington, Mass.) gathered the puck in space from Gianluca Marini (Lighthouse Point, Fla.) and buried the biscuit through the legs of Dartmouth's goalie, simultaneously ending the Corsairs 21-22 season.

Owl's goaltender, Valtteri Valtonen (Helsinki, Finland), notched win number nine of his sophomore season and recorded 38 saves on 39 shots. Valtonen had several miraculous saves down the stretch to keep the Corsairs contained and force the overtime period.

How They Got Here:

Salem State held off a late surge of offense from Worcester State in the MASCAC quarterfinal to secure the 4-3 win and punch their ticket to the next round. The Vikings had four different scorers in the contest with Keegan O'Donoghue (Frisco, TX) leading the way with a goal and a helper on his stat line.

Salem's top goal scorer this year has been senior forward Joe Smith (Holbrook, Mass.) who has potted 13 goals in his senior campaign. They are backed by net-minder Aaron Mercer (Corner Brook, Newfoundland) who recorded the win in the quarterfinals with 35 stops on 38 shots. Mercer has split time with senior Joona Sato-Hunsula (Turku, Finland) this season. Sato-Hunsula finished the regular season ranked fourth in the MASCAC in saves (410) and save percentage (.921).

Westfield was 2-1 in the regular season series against Salem, shutting them out back on November 18^th in a 2-0 victory.

Around the League:

The Owls' win was one of three upsets throughout the first round of elimination matches with the fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds beating the second, third, and fourth-seeded teams. The other semifinal game will showcase the top-seeded Plymouth State Panthers hosting the seventh seed Framingham State Rams.

PACK THE BARN:

Be sure to clear your schedules and pack the barn as these two teams battle it out for a spot in the MASCAC championship.

Tickets are $1 for Westfield State students with ID, $3 for non-Westfield Students and seniors, $5for adults.  Children under 12 are admitted for free.

If Westfield wins on Tuesday, the site of the game depends on the winner of the other semifinal round game.   Westfield would host Framingham on Saturday, March 5 if the Rams win the semi, or the Owls would travel to Plymouth State if the Panthers advance.