Chandler, Owls Blank MCLA, 3-0

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Kevin Chandler (Hanover, Mass.) picked up a 27-save shutout and Christopher Miraldo's (Montreal, Quebec) early third period goal sealed the deal for the Westfield State Owls as they took down the visiting MCLA Trailblazers 3-0 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Thursday evening at Amelia Park Arena in Westfield, Mass.

With the win, the Owls improve to 10-5-1 overall and 7-4-1 in the MASCAC. MCLA falls to 2-13-1 on the season and 0-11-1 in the league.

Miraldo collected two points on the evening with his 3rd period goal and an assist on the first goal of the game. The shutout improves Chandler's win percentage to .611 (5-3). Tonight's shutout was the Owls' first this season. 

Miraldo's goal was unassisted as he received the puck at center ice and skated through to the top of the face-off dot where his slapshot violently soared past the Trailblazers goalkeeper Matthew Gover (Atkinson, N.H.) and into the back of the net.

The first goal of the night, scored by Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec), came late in the first period. With five minutes to play Gianluca Marini (Lighthouse Point, Fla.) found himself along the boards on the right side of MCLA's net. Marini dished a behind the back pass to a waiting Miraldo at the middle of the right-side circle. Miraldo then sent his pass halfway across the ice where it connected with the stick of Pichette who one-timed a slap shot that went high past the Gover and into the back of the net.

With seven seconds remaining in the first, Brett Williams (Easton, Mass.) scored his fifth goal of the season to double the Owls lead.

Williams' goal was set up after Tomas Muller (Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) found himself deep in the right-side corner where he shot a puck on net which deflected off the foot of an MCLA defender. The deflected puck found Julian Boisclair (Voorhees, NJ) who quickly passed it across the crease to an oncoming Williams. A one timed shot, low to the left, found the back of the net giving the Owls a 2-0 lead as the period ended.

Gover made 25 saves for MCLA, while Addam Brunner (Hamburg, NY) led with five shots.

The next game for the Owls is home on Saturday January 20 at 5:35 pm at Amelia Park versus Fitchburg State University. MCLA is home on Saturday January 20 at 7:30 pm versus Framingham State University.

(Written by Jordan Aguiar – WSU Sports Information Intern)