Owls Athletics Set for Jam-Packed Home Playoff Schedule

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State athletics is set to host three consecutive days of conference tournament action this week, starting on Wednesday with women's basketball at 7:00 P.M., men's ice hockey on Thursday at 7:35 P.M., and men's basketball on Friday at 7:00 P.M.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, February 25 – Women's Basketball: #3 Westfield St. vs #6 Anna Maria (7:00pm)
Thursday, February 26 – Ice Hockey: #3 Westfield St. vs #6 Worcester St. (7:35pm)
Friday, February 27 – Men's Basketball: #1 Westfield St. vs TBD (7:00pm)

VIDEO / WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATS / HOCKEY STATS / MEN'S BASKETBALL STATS

Women's Basketball MASCAC Quarterfinal: #3 Westfield vs #6 Anna Maria – 7pm Woodward Center
In the first of three playoff games this week, the Owls women's basketball team will host a quarterfinal game against Anna Maria on Wednesday at 7:00 P.M. (The playoff schedule was pushed back a day due to the inclement weather across the state).

The Owls (17-8) finished the regular season as the third seed heading into the conference tournament with a 9-5 league mark. The AMCATS grabbed the final playoff spot and will travel to Westfield with a 10-14 overall record and a 6-8 MASCAC record.

Westfield won both regular season meetings by double digits, taking the first matchup 66-46 at home before winning 74-57 in Paxton, Mass. later in the season.

Caroline Galvani (Framingham, Mass.) enters the postseason as the Owls leading scorer at 9.1 points per game. First-year guard Sophia Rockwood (Windsor, Vt.) is second at 8.5 points and is averaging 10.2 per game in conference play which leads the team. Tavi Williams (Springfield, Mass.) is second in the MASCAC at 9.7 rebounds per game and is fresh off a 17-rebound effort on Saturday.

Arianna Gonzalez leads Anna Maria in scoring at 11.6 per game and is also second in the conference with 91 assists and third in steals (86).

If Westfield wins, they will travel to second-seeded Framingham for a conference semifinal bout on Friday night. If the AMCATS pull off the upset, they will head to top-seeded Bridgewater State as the lowest remaining seed on Friday.

Men's Ice Hockey MASCAC Quarterfinal: #3 Westfield St. vs #6 Worcester St. – 7:35pm Amelia Park Arena
On Thursday night, Owls hockey will defend home ice against sixth-seeded Worcester State in a conference quarterfinal game at 7:35 P.M. from Amelia Park Arena in Westfield, Mass.

The Owls head into the playoffs with momentum after defeating Fitchburg State, 2-0 and earned a 16-7-2 overall mark and a 9-3-2 conference record during the regular season. The Lancers snagged the final playoff spot after a 3-2 win at Rivier over the weekend, entering the tournament with a record of 10-11-4 and 3-8-3 MASCAC record.

Westfield swept the regular season series, winning 4-2 at Worcester all the way back on November 20 before eking out a 2-1 win at home on February 5.

The Owls top line has been a significant point producer over the course of the season with all three players leading the team in points. Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) leads Westfield with 26 points, recording at least one point in five of his last six games. Louis Ouellet (Baie-Comeau, Quebec) has nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points and Cooper Board (Salem, Mass.) scored the game-winning shorthanded goal in the last meeting against the Lancers.

Bryce Grandbois is the top goal scorer for the Lancers with 13, tying the team lead in points at 20 with Sean Tyrie.

If the Owls win, they will return back to second-seeded Fitchburg State for a conference semifinal game on Saturday. If the Lancers win, they will head to top-seeded Anna Maria as the lowest remaining seed on Saturday.

Men's Basketball MASCAC Semifinal: #1 Westfield St. vs TBD – 7:00 P.M. Woodward Center
Men's basketball will host Friday night hoops at the Woodward Center as the top seed Owls enter the conference tournament as the number one overall seed after a successful regular season in which they captured the conference regular season title with 20-5 overall and 12-2 conference marks.

The Owls earned a first-round bye and will face the lowest remaining seed from quarterfinal games played on Wednesday in an effort to repeat as MASCAC tournament champions. Westfield has three different potential opponents for Friday's semifinal: #4 Framingham State, #5 Bridgewater State, or #6 MCLA.

Westfield rides a six-game winning streak into the tournament with five players scoring in double figures led by sophomore Kenney Rogers. Rogers is second in the conference in scoring at 19.9 points per game and in his last game against Fitchburg State he topped the 1,000-point career scoring mark, accomplishing the milestone in less than two full seasons.

Junior guard Xavier Lewis (Long Island, N.Y.) is second at 14.2 points per game and is shooting an efficient 52.0 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.7 percent at the line. Forward Joe Thomson (Sunderland, Mass.) has been a force in the interior, averaging a double-double for the season with 10.3 points and a league-leading 11.4 rebounds per game. He is third in the conference with 28 blocks.

For the latest information regarding all three conference tournaments such as dates, times, video, live stats, and post-game coverage, visit WestfieldStateOwls.com.