Miraldo Scores Twice, Owls Rally Past MCLA 2-1

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State first-year forward Christopher Miraldo (Montreal, Quebec) scored a pair of goals in the final 3:15 of the game as the Owls rallied past MCLA 2-1 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup on the road Saturday night.

The Owls, playing in their first road game of the season, improve to 4-1-1 on the year and 2-1-1 in the conference. MCLA owns a 1-4-1 overall mark and a 0-4-1 record in the MASCAC.

Westfield was unable to find the back of the net for 56:45 of game action before the Owls finally found the equalizer on a two-man advantage. Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) patiently skated with the puck towards the center of the ice, forming a triangle with Daniel Finegan (Chicago, Ill.) and Miraldo.

Pichette directed a pass to Finegan who rifled the puck through a pair of Trailblazers defenders to the tape of Miraldo who ripped home his first of the night to even the score with 3:15 to play in regulation.

With the game in the closing minute of regulation, Ryan O'Halloran (Burlington, Mass.) won a puck battle in the neutral zone which initiated a counterattack into the Trailblazers defensive end where he tapped a pass over to Miraldo who deposited his second goal of the night and the game winner for Westfield with 58 seconds left in the contest.

Sean Schifferl (Fort Myers, Fla.) put the Trailblazers in front 10:54 into the game, connecting on a power play goal off assists from Charlie Addesa (Andover, Mass.) and Shane Green (Bear, Del.).

Westfield held a sizeable shots advantage throughout the game, outshooting MCLA 53-14 in the game including a stark 46-6 advantage in the final two periods. Trailblazers goalkeeper Matthew Gover (Atkinson, N.H.) kept MCLA ahead for the majority of the night, racking up 51 saves before surrendering two tallies in the final 3:15. Kevin Chandler (Hanover, Mass.) finished with 13 saves for the Owls, recording his fourth win of the campaign.

Westfield State will host the Hockey Fights Hunger Game against Southern New Hampshire for their next game on Tuesday, November 21 from O'Brien Rink in Woburn, Mass.