Owls Gallop Past Thoroughbreds, 17-13

WESTFIELD, Mass.  –  Westfield State got five goals from Megan Bailey (Quincy, Mass.) and 14 saves from goalkeeper Sydney Smith (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah) as the Owls held on for a 17-13 win over Skidmore College in the Owls home opener at Alumni Field on Thursday evening.

Westfield is now 2-0 on the season, while Skidmore dips to 0-4 after playing a tough early-season schedule.

The Owls trailed 3-0 early, and 4-2 at the end of the first quarter as the Thoroughbreds got goals from four different scorers in the early going.

Westfield netted the first three goals of the second quarter, tying the game at 4-4 on Mykenzie Black's (Hopedale, Mass.) free position goal, then grabbing a 5-4 lead when Kylie Buchanan (Westfield, Mass.) scored on a feed from Kiely Hafensteiner (Niskayuna, N.Y.)

Back-to-back goals from Emma Cretella (Cheshire, Conn./St. Pauls) gave Westfield a 10-5 lead with 10:13 left in the third quarter, and Westfield led 14-8 after three quarters and held on down the stretch as the Owls maintained a 4-6 goal lead throughout the final 15 minutes.

Bailey led the Owls with five goals on the day. Cretella added three goals and an assists and Hafensteiner added two goals and two assists.  

Smith was stalwart in goal all night, making 14 saves while facing 38 total shots.  She stopped all seven Skidmore shots on goal in the key second quarter swing, and punctuated the game with save on a high shot at the final horn.

The Thoroughbreds were led by four goals each from Gabriella Modesti and Jillian Lockwood.  Julia Cafasso added three goals and an assist.   Goalkeeper Isabella Iannone made six saves.

Westfield will head to Panama City Beach, Fla. next week for three games at the Spring Fling Tournament.   Westfield will face The College of Wooster (Ohio) on Monday at 11 am Eastern/ 10 am central.  Live stats and game recaps will be available at WestfieldStateOwls.com

Skidmore will next travel to Rowan (NJ) College on Tuesday, Mar. 12.