FPU Tops Owls in Western Mass Invitational Title Game, 4-3 on OT

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Tournament MVP Vito Carlo scored the game winning goal 1:15 into overtime to lead Franklin Pierce to a 4-3 win over Westfield State in the championship game of the inaugural Western Mass Invitational Tournament at Amelia Park Arena in Westfield on Saturday night. 

Carlo tipped in a shot from Trevor Lawler to pull out the win.  Carlo dropped the puck for Lawler to start the play.

Franklin Pierce (2-0) jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead.

Declan House fed Douglas Maguire in the high slot, who beat Westfield's Valtteri Valtonen with a low shot through traffic for a 1-0 lead.   House netted the Ravens' second goal, ringing a one-timer off the bottom of the crossbar at the 12:10 mark of the first period. Connor Foley added a third goal before the first frame was out.

Joseph Carbone got the Owls (1-1) on the board midway through the second period as he followed up his own shot in the corner and wristed the puck back on goal to trim the lead to 3-1.

The Owls' Collins netted a back hander top shelf 1:14 later to trim the lead back to 3-2.

Westfield's Ryan O'Halloran tied the game at 3-3 with a wrister after a battle in front of the net at the 14:29 mark of the third period to force the extra session.

Westfield goaltender Valtteri Valtonen made 38 saves, with Franklin Pierce's Kyle Martin stopping 40 shots.

Western New England topped Johnson and Wales, 4-3 in the consolation final earlier in the day.

Westfield will be back in action on Thursday, hosting Anna Maria at Amelia Park at 7:35 p.m.