Women's Lax Picks Up First Win of Season, 15-11 Over WNE

WESTFIELD, Mass. –  Westfield State's Cassidy Harvey (Niskayuna, N.Y.) scored six goals to lead the Owls to a 15-11, come-from-behind win over Western New England in a local rivalry women's lacrosse game on Thursday at Golden Bear Stadium in Springfield, Mass.

Westfield (1-1) trailed 7-5 at the half, but Harvey netted the first two goals of the third quarter to draw the Owls even at 7-7 with 10:46 left in the third.  The Owls tacked two goals from Kelly Gearin (Lunenburg, Mass.), and one from Kiely Hafensteiner (Niskayuna, N.Y.) before Harvey capped a 6-0 run with 11:47 left in the game to give Westfield an 11-7 lead.

Western New England trimmed the lead to as few as two goals at 12-10, when Emmy Burns tallied with 8:55 left in the game, but Westfield used a 3-0 run capped by a goal from Gearin with 5:44 left to put the game away.

Gearin finished with three goals and an assist for the Owls, and Emma Cretella (Cheshire, Conn./St. Paul)  added four goals.

Reilly Miller led Western New England (1-1) with three goals and two assists.

Westfield State goalkeeper Sydney Smith (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah) made nine saves in the win, while WNE's Faith Graveline stopped 14 shots.

The Owls outshot the Golden Bears 32-27.   Westfield forced 26 WNE turnovers while committing just 17 of their own.

Westfield will next travel to Clearwater, Fla., during the spring break week to play a pair of games, facing Otterbein (Ohio) on Monday, and John Carroll (Ohio) on Wednesday.