Owls Surge Past Assumption, 6-3

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior Cory Morris (Kahnawake, Quebec) netted a pair of goals as the Owls scored six goals in the third period to surge past Assumption University 6-3 in a non-conference game from Amelia Park Arena in Westfield, Mass. on Thursday night.

The Owls snap the Greyhounds eight-game winning streak as Westfield improves to 6-3-1 overall. Assumption suffers just their second loss of the season, dropping to 11-2.

Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, the Owls initiated a scoring outbreak by scoring four goals in a span of six minutes of game action. Daniel Finegan (Chicago, Ill.) found the equalizing tally 1:44 into the period, collecting a loose puck at the offensive blueline, then skating towards the boards where he fired a shot to the far side of the net that snuck past Greyhounds goaltender Clement Labillois (Bonaventure, Quebec).

Following the Finegan goal, the first-year tandem of Christopher Miraldo (Montreal, Quebec) and Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) found the go-ahead goal. Pichette won a puck battle behind the Owls net and dished a pass over to Miraldo who sent a cross-ice feed back to Pichette who's wrister from just inside the blueline beat Labillois to take the lead with just over 15 minutes left in the game.

Westfield scored the next two goals in a span of 51 seconds with Morris extending the Owls lead to two goals with assists from Andreas Fleutot (Megeve, France) and Finegan.

The scoring onslaught continued after an attacking-zone face off win by Gianluca Marini (Lighthouse Point, Fla.) that set up Miraldo for his team-leading eighth goal of the season off a pass that came from behind the net off the stick of Cooper Board (Salem, Mass.), giving the Owls a 4-1 lead with 10:17 remaining in the game.

Assumption would not go down quietly as Jonathan Surrette (Woburn, Mass.) and Ronny Paragallo (Huntington, N.Y.) scored consecutive goals for the Greyhounds to cut the Owls lead to one goal with 5:46 to play in regulation.

The Owls managed to fend off the late run from Assumption, scoring a pair of cross-ice empty-net goals from Morris and Julian Boisclair (Voorhees, N.J.).

Westfield held a slight shots advantage, outshooting Assumption 38-36. Owls netminder Valtteri Valtonen (Helsinki, Finland) recorded 33 saves. Labillois collected 26 saves with Callum Welch (Strafford, N.H.) entering in the contest in the third period, stopping all six shots faced.

Westfield State enters back into MASCAC play for their next game as the Owls travel to Worcester State on Saturday for a 6:30 P.M. puck drop. Assumption visits Fitchburg State on Saturday at 4:00 P.M.