Parker, McNary Power Owls into Conference Championship with Win over Worcester

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State sophomore Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) and first-year Kiki McNary (Brattleboro, Vt.) each scored a first-half goal to lead the top-seeded Owls to a 2-0 victory over fourth-seeded Worcester State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Semifinal game from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. on Friday night.

Westfield advances to the MASCAC Championship game where they will play host to third-seeded Fitchburg State on Sunday from Alumni Field at noon.

The Owls quickly jumped in front with graduate student Jenn Rennich (Bedford, Mass.) delivering a lob pass from the opposing 35-yard line to the feet of Parker who out-ran two defenders, then touched the ball past the diving keeper Mallory Dupuis (Leominster, Mass.) where she rocketed in her 15^th goal of the season to put Westfield up 1-0.

Westfield doubled their lead inside the 35^th minute with Rennich feeding a cross into the center of the box where the ball deflected off of two players before first-year Livie Crooks (Wilbraham, Mass.) was able to settle the ball and then one-touch a pass to McNary who beat Dupuis to the lower right corner of the net.

The Lancers put together their best scoring chance of the first half in the closing seconds of the frame when senior forward Hailey Mignon (Tewksbury, Mass.) teed up a shot from the top of the box which rang the crossbar and bounced over the net as the Owls managed to preserve a two-goal advantage heading into the break.

In the second half, the Owls' defense strung together a pair of key defensive saves to keep Worcester off the scoreboard inside the 66^th minute. After beating a sliding Lauryn Davis (Templeton, Mass.) at the top of the box, Mignon corralled the ball before firing a shot towards the net where Katie Slattery (Wilbraham, Mass.) swooped in from behind and knocked the ball out of danger.

On the ensuing corner kick, Hailey Skowronski (Holliston, Mass.) chipped a perfect ball into the center of the box for Mignon who headed the ball to the back post where Emily Ottomaniello (Agawam, Mass.) was able to kick away another prime scoring chance from Worcester.

Davis (W, 7-0-1) stopped all five shots on net for the Owls. Dupuis (L, 6-10-2) tallied six saves on the night.

Westfield held a 22-17 shot advantage, including a slim 8-7 margin in shots on goal.