Ice Hockey Travels to Anna Maria for MASCAC Quarterfinal Game

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State men's ice hockey will open the 2025 MASCAC Tournament on the road as the Owls visit Anna Maria College on Thursday for a 5:40 P.M. puck drop at Horgan Ice Rink in Auburn, Mass.

The Owls enter the tournament as the seventh overall seed, posting an overall record of 12-13 and an 8-10 MASCAC record. The AMCATS, in their inaugural season in the MASCAC, have been one of the top teams in the conference as they head into Thursday's matchup as the second overall seed with a record of 18-7 and 14-4 conference mark.

Last season, the Owls were the fourth overall seed in the conference tournament, defeating Framingham State 4-0 on their home ice at Amelia Park Arena before falling to top-seeded and eventual conference-winning Plymouth State in the league semifinals.

Westfield struggled against Anna Maria in the two regular season meetings, losing 4-0 on the road all the way back in the conference opener on November 21 before falling 4-1 on home ice on January 25.

This season, the Owls have faced adversity as the calendar flipped into February with Westfield carrying a modest 10-8 record and 6-5 league mark through January. In February, the Owls lost five of their final seven games to close the regular season, taking themselves out of contention for a home playoff game.

The Owls will attempt to find scoring consistency in junior captain Cooper Board (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and sophomore Christopher Miraldo (Montreal, Quebec). Board leads the Owls with ten goals on the season and is third in points. Last season, Board kickstarted the Owls scoring in the playoff win over the Rams. Miraldo, a 2024 All-Conference forward, has scored nine goals and 21 points this season.

Two additional impact players up front are sophomore Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) and first-year Emile Tremblay (Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec). Pichette has consistently set up the Owls scoring attack this year, leading the team with 16 assists and 23 points. Pichette has recorded a point in eight of the Owls last ten games entering the postseason. Tremblay has emerged as an additional scoring threat for Westfield, registering seven goals in his rookie season which is tied for third on the team.

In goal, the Owls have turned to a young goaltending tandem in Aiden Winslow (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Esteban Gauthier (Saint-Julie, Quebec). Winslow has started in net against the AMCATS in both meetings this season, bouncing back from a season-low save percentage in the first matchup to produce an impressive 45 saves in the second meeting between the two sides.

Gauthier has seen the majority of his work in between the pipes late in the season and has recently alternated starts in net with Winslow. Gauthier's numbers in a small sample size have been complimentary to Winslow, who currently sits second in the league in save percentage. Gauthier owns a 4-1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage. The duo has held together an extremely valuable position for Westfield despite both playing in their first collegiate hockey seasons.

As a team, the Owls finished the regular season averaging 2.48 goals per game which is seventh in the MASCAC. Scoring has been inconsistent at times this year as Westfield's defense have kept them alive in many contests, allowing the fourth fewest goals per game at 2.63.

A similar trend can be found in the Owls special team's units. An issue for the Owls offensive game has been the power play which checks in last in the conference, scoring at a 7.5 percent clip. However, Westfield has shown signs of life in that department, scoring a power play goal in each of their last two games to wrap up the regular season. Their penalty kill has ben strong throughout the season, killing 84 percent of opposing man-advantage chances which is the third best mark in the conference.

For Anna Maria, they enter Thursday's game on a mini two-game skid (against top-seeded Plymouth and third-seeded Salem), but were red hot in the stretch prior, winning ten consecutive games. Senior defenseman Derek Raposo (Hannon, Ontario) has been a driving force in the offense as his 24 assists lead the MASCAC. The AMCATS have three double digit goal scorers, beginning with their points leader Matthew Gilbert (Wyandotte, Mich.) who is tied for the team lead with 13 goals and 29 total points. Another player to watch out for is first-year forward Liam Wells (Oshawa, Ontario) who scored two goals in the last matchup between the two sides.

Sophomore Matthew Hennessey (Warman, Saskatchewan) has started the majority of games in net for the AMCATS, collecting a 13-7 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Hennessey has already put together two exceptional starts in net versus the Owls, allowing one goal on 49 shots for a .980 save percentage.

The AMCATS check in as the second highest scoring offense in the conference, scoring just under four goals per game (3.92) while allowing the third fewest goals per game at 2.58. The AMCATS have boasted a lethal power play all year, connecting on 28.4 percent of chances which is seventh in all of Division III and tops in the league. Anna Maria's penalty kill is average within the MASCAC, checking in at fifth at an 83.3 percent kill.

The winner of Thursday's game will advance into the MASCAC semifinals which will be played on Saturday. For video, live stats, and postgame coverage, visit WestfieldStateOwls.com.