Finals



Westfield, MA --- Just a quick message wishing our players luck as they enter finals week. Hope everyone has a safe break and a great holiday season.
                                                                     From,
                                                                     Coach Godfrey & Coach Lachance

Regional Ranking #2



Owls Rally For A Point Against Bridgewater

Bridgewater, MA --- For the second straight night the Owls would need overtime to try to pick up the additional point and for the second straight night the game would end in a tie. It was a tale of two teams this afternoon at the Bridgewater Ice Arena. In the first half of the game, the Owls were battling two teams out on the ice and found themselves in a hole but in the second half they showed why they were American Conference regular season champions last year as they never gave up and showed a ton of heart to come back from being down four goals.

Bridgewater State would get on the board early when Kyle Anderson gave the Bears a 1-0 lead only 2:17 into the first period. Westfield State would tie the game up two minutes later with a goal from Will MacDonald. Matt Spadorcia and Sean Parsons would pick up assists on the goal. The Owls would find themselves in penalty trouble and the Bears would strike twice in under two minutes with power play goals to give Bridgewater the 3-1 lead after the first period.

Ryan Leonard would make it a one goal game with a highlight reel goal coming in front of the net and patiently out waiting Bears goaltender Matthew Scott. However, like the first period, the Bears would get two more power play goals but this time both were 5 on 3's. The Bears would add another goal and would take a commanding 6-2 lead into the final period.

For the next 25 minutes, the Owls carried most of the play and it all started when Tim Walsh scored to cut the lead in half at 15:11.  Midway through the third period, Greg Rice found Sean Parsons open at the point. Sean walked in towards the top of the circle and fired a shot to beat Scott high. For Parsons and Walsh, it was their first collegiate goals. Three minutes later, Nick Rose would make it a one goal game with a short-handed goal with 6:02 remaining in the third period. The comeback would be complete when Tim Walsh scored his second goal of the night with 3:47 remaining in regulation. The Owls would continue to pressure in Bridgewater's zone for the rest of regulation and overtime but the two teams would each get a point as the game ended in a 6-6 tie.

The Owls will practice Tuesday night at 10:00 PM before heading home for winter break. The Owls conclude the fall semester with a 4-2-3-1 record and are currently in second place in the  Southwest Division. They will open up the spring semester on January 26th when they travel to Connecticut to play Eastern Connecticut State University.

GAME SHEET: 12/2/2012 @ BRIDGEWATER STATE

Goals: MacDonald (2), Leonard (3), Walsh (1,2) Parsons (1), Rose (3)
Saves: DiMare (23)
Power Play:  1 for 7 (14%)

Penalty Kill: 6 for 10 (60%)

Owls Gain Another Point Against Holy Cross

Westfield, MA --- For the second straight game against Holy Cross, 60 minutes wouldn't be enough. The two teams would each earn a point in a 1-1 tie. Holy Cross, who has yet to lose a conference game in regulation, would grab the early lead 5:19 into the first period when Ryan Kennedy curled around the right wing circle and fired a shot past Owls goaltender Nick Franco. Franco made a number of unbelievable saves and would end up making 28 saves on the night. The Crusaders would take the one goal lead into the first intermission.

The Owls came out strong in the second period and would take advantage on a bad change by Holy Cross. Nick Rose would come in on a 2 on 0 breakaway and would fire the puck over the shoulder of Jack Kenney to tie the game at a goal a piece.

That would be all the scoring in the game as each team had several opportunities to take the lead but the goaltenders came up big to keep the game tied.

The Owls finished the season series with Holy Cross with a record of 0-0-1-1. They travel down to Bridgewater, MA tomorrow afternoon for another huge divisional game against Bridgewater State. Game updates for tomorrow's game will be on the team's twitter and will be updated during the intermissions.

GAME SHEET: 12/1/2012 VS HOLY CROSS

Goals: Rose (2)
Saves: Franco (28)
Power Play: 0 for 4 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 5 for 5 (100%)

OWLS GAME DAY: HOLY CROSS



Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls return from Thanksgiving break with two big divisional  games this weekend. The Owls will host Holy Cross on Saturday, December 1st at 5:00 PM. This is the second and final meeting between these two clubs. The Crusaders beat Westfield 4-3 in overtime back in October. Follow the team's twitter for game updates.

Joey Green's Hat Trick Propels Owls to Win

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University Owls club hockey team got a little bit of revenge from last year when they beat MIT 7-4 on Sunday. Joey Green got the Owls on the scoreboard only 1:12 into the game but the Engineers would capitalize on mistakes and would control the scoreboard in the first period. MIT would get two quick power play goals midway through the first period and add another goal by Adam Vickerman to take a 3-1 lead into the locker room.
 

The Owls would respond strongly, scoring the game's next six goals. In the second period, Joey Green would score two goals for the hat trick and captain Greg Rice would net two of his own to chase starting goaltender Jenna Klein.
 

After taking a 5-3 lead into the third, the Owls would add two more goals in the third period only 1:20 apart from each other. David Russo would pick up his third goal of the year to give the Owls a 6-3 lead. Schyler Reilly would give the Owls more insurance with an unassisted goal with 13:18 remaining in the game. The Engineers would get one more power play goal but that's as close as they would get and the Owls would hold on for the two points.
 

The Owls will have Thanksgiving break off and return to action on December 1st when they host Holy Cross.

GAME SHEET: 11/18/2012 VS MIT 

Goals: Green (6,7,8), Rice (5,6), Russo (3), Reilly (6)
Saves: DiMare (24)
Power Play: 0 for 1 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 3 for 6 (50%)

OWLS GAME DAY: MIT

 

 

Westfield, MA --- The Owls host MIT today at 4:00 PM at Amelia Park in downtown Westfield. This is a rematch of last year's championship game in which the Engineers defeated Westfield in overtime 3-2. This is the only meeting of the season between the two clubs. Follow the team on twitter at @wsuclub for game updates. 

REGIONAL RANKINGS #1



GAME CANCELLED: WPI

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls club hockey team annouced today that Saturday night's game in Marlboro versus WPI has been cancelled. At this time, there are no plans to reschedule this game.

 

Westfield's next game will be Sunday, November 18th at 4:00 PM as they host MIT. This is a rematch of the 2012 championship game in which the Owls lost to the Engineers 3-2 in overtime.

GAME RESCHEDULED: SACRED HEART

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls club hockey team announced today that the game originally scheduled for October 28th at Sacred Heart has been rescheduled for January 27th at 8:00 PM.

Owls Complete 3 Point Weekend With Win Against Bates

Westfield, MA --- Westfield State University defeated Bates College 6-2 on Sunday afternoon. Check back tomorrow for a game recap

Goals: Rice (3,4) , Almeida (1), Pierce (3), Russo (2), Collins (1)
Saves: Franco (23)
Power Play: 2 for 9 (22%)
Penalty Kill: 6 for 6 (100%)

Owls Game Day: Westfield State Vs. Bates

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University Owls return to action this afternoon as they host Bates College. This will be the lone matchup between the two teams this season. The Owls swept the season series last year by defeating the Bears by the scores of 3-2 and 3-0. If you cannot make the game, follow the live in-game twitter updates by following the club @wsuclub.

Owls Get A Point Against Roger Willliams

Fall River, MA --- They say that over a season that everything evens out. Tonight was one of those games where the Owls received a lucky bounce and managed to pull out a point against division foe Roger Williams University. The Owls played one of their best defensive periods in the first period and held the Hawks to only 3 shots in the period. The Owls would strike first on the power play when Sean Parsons' shot from the point was re-deflected in front by Joey Green with 1:01 remaining in the first period.  It was the third straight game that the Owls got the first goal of the game and would take the one goal lead into the locker room.

 

The Owls got a little sloppy with the details in the second period and Roger Williams would tie the game midway through the second period. The Owls were pressuring the Hawks in their own end but a quick break out caught the Owls in a bad line change as Ryan Seller would put the puck behind Owls netminder Ryan DiMare. DiMare played another solid game turning away 22 out of 24 shots.

 

In the third, Jared Rizzo would give the Hawks their first lead of the night only 2:33 into the third period. It was a pretty goal that caught the Owls watching the puck and Al Loebs' cross ice pass found Rizzo all alone in the face off circle for a wide open goal. The Owls would pull their goalie with 1:30 remaining in the game and had heavy pressure in the offensive zone. With 24 seconds remaining on the clock, Joey Green would score his second goal of the night to tie the game 2-2. Ryan Leonard and Schyler Reilly would pick up assists on the goal. The teams traded chances in the 5 minute over time period but the game would end with each team receiving a point.

 

It was an important game for the Owls as they finish with a 1-0-1 record versus Roger Williams as the two teams fight for a playoff spot in the Southwest Division in NECHA's American Division. The Owls return home on Sunday to face Bates College at 4:00 PM at Amelia Park. It will be the lone meeting of the season between the two teams.

Goals: Green (4,5)
Saves: DiMare (24)
Power Play: 1 for 5 (20%)
Penalty Kill: 2 for 3 (67%)

Penalties Costly In 7-5 Loss to St. Anselm

Westfield, MA --- It was a wild game Saturday afternoon in Westfield that saw 12 goals and 17 penalties combined but the Owls fell short and lost to St. Anselm College by the score of seven to five. The Owls got off to another great start and they controlled much of the first half of the first period. They would get on the score board first when Anthony Aspromonti chipped in a loose puck in front of the net to give the Owls a 1-0 lead. Brian Garreffi and Tim Walsh would pick up assists on the goal. However, it went south quickly for the Owls. St. Anselm would score four goals in seven minutes to take a commanding 4-1 lead late in the first period. The Owls would cut the lead in half before heading into the locker room with a power play goal from Ryan Leonard. After the first period, Ryan DiMare replaced Nick Franco to start the second period. Franco finished the night facing 9 shots.

 

The Owls quickly erased the Hawks two goal lead within the first two minutes of the second period. Greg Rice would bat the puck in below the cross bar only 1:38 into the period. Rice would then pick up his second goal of the night only 17 seconds later to tie the game at four. Penalties would once again hurt the Owls and midway through the game Jake Ouellette would score a power play goal to put the Hawks up by a goal. Schyler Reilly continued his great weekend by scoring his fourth goal of the weekend to once again tie up the game. Reilly came in all alone in front of the net and patiently waited to dek out the goalie and put the puck into the empty net. St. Anselm would regain their lead 35 seconds later when Kevin Haley picked up the eventually game-winning goal with 3:19 remaining in the second period.

 

The Owls continued to attack early in the third period but ended up getting into penalty trouble half way through the period. Andrew Sterling would give the Hawks an insurance goal with 9:52 remaining in the game. Sterling's goal came on the power play which was two for six against the Owls.

 

The Owls will be back at it on Friday night at 6:00 PM when they travel down to Fall River to play Roger Williams University. The two teams met last weekend with Westfield defeating the Hawks 3-2.

11/3/2012 vs Saint Anselm Game Sheet

Goals: Aspromonti (3), Rice (3,4), Reilly (5)
Saves: Franco (5), DiMare (24)
Power Play: 1 for 4
Penalty Kill: 4 for 6

GAME DAY: OWLS VS. SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE

 

Westfield, MA --- The Owls return to action today at 5:00 PM at Amelia Park as they host St. Anselm College. This is the only game this season between the two teams. The Owls were 1-1-0 in last year's season series. If you cannot make it to today's game there will be expanded twitter coverage for the game versus St. Anselm. You can get game updates by following the twitter feed on our blog or by following the team on twitter at @wsuclub.

Reilly Gets Hat Trick In 6-2 Win Over Merrimack



N. Andover, MA --- The Westfield State Owls used their best period of the season to get off to a great start Friday night at Merrimack College. The Owls would score first in a game for the first time this season when Schyler Reilly's shot from the corner beat Warriors goaltender Geno D'Avolio.  Four minutes later, Reilly would get his second goal of the night to put the Owls up 2-0 when his backhand shot found the back of the net. The Warriors would cut the lead in half only a minute later to make it a one goal game midway through the first period.  With 5:58 remaining in the opening period, Schyler Reilly would send hats flying through the air when he completed the team's first hat trick of the season to put the Owls back up by two goals.

The second period was long and very scrappy. Joey Green put the Owls up 4-1 when he received a pass from behind then net in the slot and buried his shot for his second goal of the season. The Owls for the most part were the more disciplined team but they found themselves in penalty trouble midway through the second period. Merrimack would convert on a 5 on 3 power play to cut the lead to 4-2. However, that's as close as they would get and Westfield's defense wouldn't allow another goal in front of the strong play of Ryan DiMare. DiMare would pick up his first win of the season. Before the period was over, Joey Green would get his second of the night with a short-handed break away goal to send the teams into the second intermission.

Westfield continued their solid play into the third period and Colin Pierce would score on a 2 on 1 break for the Owls to increase the Owls lead to 6-2. With the 6-2 win, the Owls improve their league record to 2-1-0-1 and move into second place in the Southwest Division.

The Owls return to action on Saturday afternoon at 5:00 PM at Amelia Park as they host St. Anselm College. This is the only game this season between the two teams. The Owls were 1-1-0 in last year's season series. You can get game updates by following the twitter feed on our blog or by following the team on twitter at @wsuclub. 

Goals: Reilly (2,3,4), Green (2,3), Pierce (2)
Saves: DiMare (36)

Power Play: 1 for 9 (11%)
Penalty Kill: 4 for 5 (80%)

Game Sheet: Westfield State @ Merrimack College

* Photo Courtesy of Laura Akeley Kilgour

Tonight's Game Postponed

Westfield, MA --- Tonight's game between the Westfield State Owls and Sacred Heart Pioneers in Shelton, CT has been postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Sandy. On Sunday, Westfield State University cancelled all activities on campus until Wednesday.

 

The Owls hope that everyone stays safe and that hopefully our fans will not lose power for a lengthy period of time!

Owls Continue Division Play Against Sacred Heart Tomorrow Night

 

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls travel down to Shelton, CT tomorrow night to face Sacred Heart University in an important division game. The Owls look to build on last week's 3-2 win over Roger Williams and climb into second place in NECHA's Southwest Division. Depending on service inside the arena, there will be live updates via the club's twitter. You can get live updates by looking at the feed on the right hand side of our team's website or by following the club on twitter at @wsuclub.

 

A reminder to all players, the bus will be leaving the rink at 4:30 PM but please arrive at 4:00.

Westfield Earns First Win Against Roger Williams

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls recorded their first victory of the young 2012-13 season on Saturday night with a 3-2 win over Roger Williams University. The Owls got off to a slow start and Roger Williams capitalized by taking a 1-0 lead only 35 seconds into the game. Nick Franco made several nice saves to keep it a one goal game going into the second period. Franco stopped 21 out of 23 shots against.

One thing to note about this Owls team is that they are very resilient. Every time the Owls have been down, they've always found a way to get the next goal. That trend continued tonight with two quick strikes to end the second period. With 1:29 remaining in the second period, Ryan Leonard would tie the game at one. Brian Nixon and Schyler Reilly would pick up the assists on the goal. 34 seconds later, sophomore Will MacDonald, would give the Owls a 2-1 lead heading into the final period. It was MacDonald's first goal as an Owl.

Rookie, Schlyer Reilly would give the Owls an insurance goal on the power play just four minutes into the third period. Ryan Leonard's pass found Reilly in the high slot who ripped home his first goal of the season. Roger Williams would score a power play goal of their own with six minutes remaining but the Owls would hold on to improve their record to 1-1-0-1 in conference play.

Westfield's next game is Sunday, October 28th at 8 PM when they travel to Shelton, CT to play the Sacred Heart Pioneers (NECHA 2-1). If you cannot make it to the game, you can get game updates by checking the twitter feed on our homepage or by following us at @wsuclub. We are hoping to have more frequent updates during our game depending on service inside the rink.

Goals: Leonard (1) , MacDonald (1), Reilly (1)
Saves: Franco (21)
Power Play: 2 for 8 (25%)
Penalty Kill: 5 for 6 (83%)

Owls Gain Point in OT Loss

Worcester, MA --- The Westfield State Owls suffered their second straight heart breaking loss of the season with a 4-3 OT loss to Holy Cross on Friday night. The Crusaders got on the board first when Eric Sherman finished a two on one break as the puck slid into the net after a few bodies went sliding towards Owls netminder Ryan DiMare. DiMare would end up saving 38 out of 42 of the shots he faced. The Owls would tie the game when David Russo found a loose puck in a scramble for his first goal of the season. However, the lead wouldn't last long and Holy Cross would take a 2-1 lead with three minutes remaining in the first period. With a large cheering section for him, Colin Pierce would tie the game at two with 2:15 left in the period.

Nick Rose would give the Owls their first lead of the season at the 14:55 mark of the second period. Greg Rice and Colin Arnold would pick up assists on the goal.

Unfortunately the Owls could not hold on to the lead and the two teams would each pick up a point as they headed to overtime. With 18 seconds remaining in regulation, Sean Parsons would deliver a hit in the corner that would spark fireworks. On the way to the penalty box, two Crusaders attacked him and there was a big scrum in front of the Owls net. Parsons would pick up a five minute boarding major and a game disqualification. Meanwhile, both Crusaders were given two minutes for hitting after the whistle. Parsons will have to sit out the next game because of the DQ.

Overtime started with three on three hockey and the visibility was bad as the fog rolled in. With a lot of open ice the teams traded scoring chances but Eric Sherman would get the game-winner with 1:08 remaining in overtime. The Owls pick up a point for losing in overtime but are now 0-1-0-1 in division play.

The Owls host Roger Williams University on Saturday at 5 PM. We are hoping for a big crowd on homecoming weekend and we hope to see everyone there. If you cannot make it to the game, you can get game updates by following the team on twitter @wsuclub.

Goals: Russo (1), Rose (1), Pierce (1)
Saves: DiMare (38)
Power Play: 0 for 5 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 5 for 6 (83%)

Owls Lose Heartbreaker in Final Minute

Westfield, MA --- It was a typical Westfield State – Bridgewater State battle Saturday night at Amelia Park. In a high scoring, heavy checking game, the Owls dropped their season opener to the Bears 5-4. Bridgewater State would get on the board first at the 12:13 mark of the first period. After a scrum in the front of the net, Conor Mahoney hand passed the puck to Kyle Anderson who would fire the puck into an empty net. The Owls would tie the game at one when Brian Gareffi’s shot from the point was tipped in front by Anthony Aspromonti.

The Owls would find themselves in trouble midway through the second period when they took three straight penalties. Bridgewater would capitalize on their third chance with a goal by Mason Yates. In a game that the Owls never led, they fought hard to tie it up on the power play with 15 seconds remaining in the second period. David Russo’s pass from behind the net found captain Greg Rice in the slot for the one-timer.

It only took Bridgewater 12 seconds into the third period to once again take a one goal lead. Three minutes later, Kyle Murray would score in his first collegiate game to tie the game 3-3. The teams would trade power play goals midway through the third period. It seemed like the Owls had the momentum and had several chances to take their first lead of the game but it would be Bridgewater State getting the go ahead goal with 48 seconds remaining in the game.

The Owls would like to thank all their fans for coming out for the home opener. It was a great crowd and we hope to see everyone back next Saturday when they host Roger Williams at 5 PM. The Owls travel to Worcester, MA on Friday night to take on division rival Holy Cross. You can get game updates by following the team’s twitter at @wsuclub.

Goals: Aspromonti (1), Rice (1), Murray (1), Green (1)
Saves: Franco (32)
Power Play: 2 for 4 (50%)
Penalty Kill: 3 for 5 (60%)

HOME OPENER TOMORROW AT 5:00 PM

 

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University club hockey team will begin their 2012 - 2013 season tomorrow afternoon when they host Bridgewater State at 5:00 PM. This will be a rematch of last year's NECHA American Conference semi-final in which the Owls came from behind to beat the Bears 6-5.

 

If you can't make it to the game tomorrow you can follow the team's twitter for score updates at @wsuclub.

2012-13 Schedule Released

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University club hockey team released their 2012 - 2013 regular season schedule today. The Owls will join Bridgewater State, Holy Cross, Roger Williams and Sacred Heart in the Southwest Division in NECHA's American Conference. The Owls will play each of their division foes in a home and home series. There will also be 5 crossover games against the Northeast Division that will count towards the regular season standings. Westfield State will host Bates College, MIT and Saint Anselm at Amelia Park in downtown Westfield and will travel to Merrimack College and Harvard University. Currently, Westfield also has two out of conference games scheduled versus Eastern Connecticut State University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Plans are in the work to add two more games so please check the site often for the most up-to-date schedule.

October 13th	SAT	BRIDGEWATER STATE*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
October 19th	FRI	@ Holy Cross*	7:00 PM	Hart Center
October 20th	SAT	ROGER WILLIAMS*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
October 28th	SUN	@ Sacred Heart*	8:00 PM	Sports Center of CT
November 2nd	FRI	@ Merrimack College*	8:00 PM	Lawler Arena
November 3rd	SAT	ST. ANSELM*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
November 9th	FRI	@ Roger Williams*	6:00 PM	Driscoll Arena
November 11th	SUN	BATES COLLEGE*	4:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
November 17th	SAT	@ WPI	TBA	NESC
November 18th	SUN	MIT*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
December 1st	SAT	HOLY CROSS*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
December 2nd	SUN	@ Bridgewater State*	1:20 PM	Bridgewater Ice Arena
January 26th	SAT	@ Eastern CT	8:30 PM	South Windsor Arena
February 2nd	SAT	SACRED HEART*	5:00 PM	Amelia Park Arena
February 10th	SUN	@ Harvard*	1:30 PM	Bright Center

Home Opener

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Club Hockey team announced today that their home opener for the 2012-13 season will be against Bridgewater State on October 13th at 5:00 PM.

This is a rematch from the 2012 NECHA semi-finals in which the Owls scored twice in the last two minutes of regulation to stun the Bears.

The club team plays all of their home games at Amelia Park Arena in downtown Westfield. The rest of the 2012-13 schedule will be released early next week.

Club Hockey Interest Meeting

• DATE: September 11th, 2012
• TIME: 7:00 PM
• LOCATION: Woodward 233

Fall Meeting

Westfield, MA --- NECHA announced earlier this week that this year's fall meeting will be held at Daniel Webster College at 9am on Saturday, September 15, 2012.

2012-13

Westfield, MA --- Any new players interested in playing club hockey at Westfield State University during the 2012 - 2013 season, should email the team at wsuclubhockey@yahoo.com with the following information:

Name: _______________________________
Academic Year: (Freshman ... etc) _________
Cell: _________________________________
Previous Team: ________________________
Position: ______________________________

Season Awards

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University club hockey team held their annual end of the season banquet on Tuesday evening at Amelia Park. During the dinner, the team announced that Greg Rice will be the captain for the 2012-13 season. Alternative captains will be announced at a later date. The following awards were also handed out:

Best Defenseman- Rob Collins
Best Forward- Joey Green
Coaches Award - David Russo
MVP - Tommy Bruso.

The Owls will learn more information about the upcoming season at the annual spring NECHA meeting on April 21st at Daniel Webster College. Again, the Owls hope that everyone has a fun and safe summer.

THANK YOU FANS!

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls club hockey team would like to thank all of their fans for their support throughout the 2011-12 season. We would also like to wish the seniors good luck as they graduate in the Spring. Finally, we would like to thank Doc for everything that he has done throughout the years to make the Westfield State club hockey program not only the best organization on campus but the best in the ACHA league.

We hope that everyone has a great off season and remind everyone that there's only 6 more months until training camp!

Owls Fall In Overtime 4-3

Nashua, NH --- After playing 18 regular season games and 2 playoff games, Westfield State's season would come down to the next goal. The Westfield State Owls lost to the defending champions MIT Engineers 4-3 in overtime on Sunday afternoon. MIT would jump out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first period. The Engineers got their first goal from Gabe Blanchet whose shot from the point beat Chase Thornton to give MIT a 1-0 lead with 12:38 left in the first period. After the goal, MIT kept the pressure in the Owls zone and two minutes later Adam Vickerman gave the Engineers a two goal lead. The Engineers would increase their lead to 3-0 on a power play goal by Gabe Blanchet. After the third goal, Nick Franco came in relief and would hold the Engineers scoreless for the rest of regulation. Defenseman, Ryan Laughlin, would get the Owls on the board with 17 seconds remaining in the first period beating MIT's goaltender Jenna Klein.

The Owls dominated the second period and would make the game 3-2 when Joey Green scored with 4:22 remaining in the period. Anthony Hardy would pick up the assist on the goal. Captain, Tommy Bruso tied the game 3-3 only 17 seconds later when he skated by a MIT defenseman and beat Klein glove side. The two teams would head to overtime after skating a scoreless third period.

The Owls season would come to an end when Ernest Park poked a loose puck past Franco to give the MIT Engineers the 4-3 win only a minute into the overtime period.

Goals: Laughlin (1), Green (1), Bruso (1)
Assists: Hardy (2), Green (1)
Power Play: 0 for 4 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 1 for 2 (50%)

Championship Game: Sunday at 2:50

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University Owls will play the MIT Engineers in the NECHA American Conference Finals on Sunday at 2:50 p.m. The game will be played at Conway Arena in Nashua, NH. This will be the third meeting this season between the two clubs. The two teams last met on January 15th in Westfield with the Owls falling 6-5 in overtime. The Owls reached the championship game by defeating Bridgewater State last night 6-5. After trailing 2-0, MIT fought back to beat Bates 4-3.

You can get game updates by following the club's twitter account @wsuclub.

Owls Advance to Championship

Nashua, NH --- The Westfield State Owls defeated the Bridgewater State Bears 6-5 in a wild game that came down to the last minute. The Owls would get on the board first when Peter Richardson's centering pass deflected off a defender and into the back of the net only 4:11 into the first period. The lead would not last long and Bridgewater would tie the game only 4 minutes later. Bridgewater would take the lead on a Josh Sircar goal with 3:28 remaining in the first period. With 2:22 remaining in the first, Will Keating would find Joey Green on the back door to send the two teams tied at 2 goals a piece heading into the second period.

Bridgewater State would once again take the lead at 12:03 when Craig McKinnon's shot beat Owls netminder Nick Franco. A minute later, the Owls would strike on the power play when Brian Nixon found Brett Salamon alone on the far post to tie the game 3-3.

Midway through the third period, Josh Sircar would score his second goal of the game on the power play to give the Bears a 4-3 lead with 11:52 remaining in the game. The Owls would once again tie the game with an unassisted goal by Senior defenseman Corey Tobin with 3:45 left in the period. Joe Gaughan would give the Bears a 5-4 lead only 34 seconds later when he found a loose puck in a scramble in front of the net and put it into the back of the net. The Bears thought that they had their first 2 goal lead of the game just a few seconds later but the goal was disallowed because of a crease violation and the Owls still had hope with under 3 minutes left in regulation. Captain, Tommy Bruso would tie the game 5-5 with 2:22 remaining with Ryan Leonard picking up the lone assist on the goal. Assistant captain, Corey Tobin, was on the receiving end of a high elbow with 1:32 remaining to put the Owls on the power play. Tommy Bruso would score his second goal of the night with 37 seconds remaining in the game with the man advantage to put the Owls up 6-5. The Owls would hold on to win 6-5 and advance to the championship game.

The Owls will play the winner of Bates and MIT on Sunday at 2:50 pm at Conway Arena in Nashua, NH. This will be the Owls first appearance in the championship game since 2006 when they won the NECHA playoffs. Please check back to see who the Owls will be playing by following the team's twitter account @wsuclub.

Key StatsGoals: Richardson(1) , Green(1), Salamon (1), Tobin (1), Bruso (2)
Assists: Russo(1), Keating (1), Hardy (1), Nixon (1), Laughlin (1), Leonard (2), Green (1)
Win: Franco (1)
Power Play: 2 for 6 (33%)
Penalty Kill: 3 for 4 (75%)

Owls Play Bears in Semi-Finals Tonight!

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University Owls will play the Bridgewater State Bears at Conway Arena in Nashua, NH in the first round of the NECHA playoffs. The first puck drop is scheduled for 5:40. This will be the third match up between the two teams this season with Westfield recording 6-4 and 5-3 victories over their state university rivals. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter account @wsuclub.

Owls Finish Regular Season at Merrimack

Westfield, MA --- The Owls conclude their regular season schedule on Friday night when they travel to North Andover to play Merrimack College. This game was originally schedule for 8:30 PM but has been pushed back to 9:00 PM. The two teams last met in the Owls home opener on October 15th with the Owls defeating the Warriors 2-1. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter account @wsuclub.

American Conference Games (2/10-2/12)
Westfield State @ Merrimack (FRI)
Harvard @ MIT (SAT)
Bates @ Bridgewater State (SUN)
MIT @ Sacred Heart (SUN)

Owls Defeat Bears 5-3 With Team Effort

Bridgewater, MA --- The Westfield State Owls defeated the Bridgewater Bears 5-3 in an afternoon tilt on Sunday. David Russo would put the Owls on the board first with 11:55 remaining in the first period with a wrist shot that beat Bears netminder Matt Scott five hole. The Bears would strike back 53 seconds later and the two teams would go into the first intermission tied at one goal a piece.

The Owls would regain their lead with 4:26 left in the second period with a power play goal from Joey Green. Corey Tobin and Rob Collins would pick up assists on the goal. However, Bridgewater would once again tie the game a minute later and the two teams would head into the second intermission tied once again.

The Owls would get back to back goals from David Russo and Anthony Hardy within the first 3 minutes of the third period and would give the Owls their first 2 goal lead of the game. Midway through the third, Rob Collins would score on a rebound from Anthony Hardy to make it 5-2 Owls. It took a team effort to beat the Bears as 9 different Owls found their way on the score sheet. Kevin Gilbert would add a goal for the Bears with 8:41 remaining in the game and the Owls would hold on for the 5-3 win.

The Owls will finish out the regular season on Friday night when they travel to face Merrimack College at 9:10 pm. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter at @wsuclub. Also, please keep checking back on the team's website for the latest information about the 2012 NECHA playoff schedule. We will post information as soon as we get it from the league.

Three Stars

1) Rob Collins (Goal & Assist)
2) David Russo (2 Goals)
3) Nick Franco (24 Saves)

Key Stats

Goals: Russo (2), Green (1), Hardy (1), Collins (1)
Assists: Keating (1), Tobin (1), Collins (1), MacDonald (1), Green (1), Bruso (1), Hardy (1), Salamon (1)
Saves: Franco (24)
Power Play: 1 for 6 (17%)
Penalty Kill: 8 for 8 (100%)

Owls Claim American Conference Title

Lewiston, ME --- The Westfield State University Owls secured the top spot in the American Conference with a 3-0 win over Bates College on Friday night. The Owls got off to a fast start and would score the first goal of the game only 1:04 into the game when Anthony Hardy skated down the right wing boards and passed the puck out front to Peter Richardson who put it past Bates goalie Matt Mosca. The Owls would increase their lead to 2-0 when Joey Green finished a beautiful 2 on 1 play with a pass from Tommy Bruso.

After skating a scoreless second period, Anthony Hardy would put the Owls up 3-0 in the beginning of the third period when he knocked a loose puck into the back of the net. Peter Richardson and Will Keating picked up assists on the goal. Chase Thornton was spectacular in net again increasing his shutout streak to 95:39. It was the Owls first shutout of the season. The team is averaging 4.19 goals a game and is averaging 2.44 goals against a game.

The Owls will travel down to Bridgewater State on Super Bowl Sunday for a 1:10 pm puck drop. The Owls defeated the Bears 6-4 on November 5th. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter @wsuclub.

Three Stars1) Chase Thornton (Shutout)
2) Peter Richardson (Game-Winning Goal & Assist)
3) Anthony Hardy (Goal & Assist)

Key StatsGoals: Richardson (1), Green (1), Hardy (1)
Assists: Hardy (1), Bruso (1), Richardson (1), Keating (1)
Power Play: 0 for 6 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 4 for 4 (100%)

Owls Travel to Maine Tomorrow Night

Westfield, MA --- The Owls travel up to Lewiston, Maine tomorrow night to face Bates College at 6:30 pm at Underhill Arena. The Owls currently have 17 points in the American Conference and can clinch the regular season title with a win. The Owls beat Bates 3-2 when the two teams met on November 19th in Westfield. The team will try to update their twitter as much as possible. You can follow the team on twitter @wsuclub.

American Conference Games (2/3 - 2/5)
Westfield @ Bates (Fri)
Sacred Heart @ Harvard (Sat)
Bridgewater @ Merrimack (Sat)
Westfield @ Bridgewater (Sun)

Owls Defeat Harvard 2-1 on Senior Night

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State University Owls defeated the Harvard Crimson 2-1 on Saturday night. The Owls finished their 2011-2012 home schedule with a record of 7-0-0-1. The Owls finish the season playing their next three games on the road before heading to Nashua, NH to compete in the NECHA playoffs.

After skating a scoreless first period, Harvard would get on the board first when they connected on a three on one rush. Chase Thornton played great in net and kept it a one goal game going into the final period.

In the third, senior Brett Salamon would score both goals for the Owls to complete the comeback. With the win, the Owls now have 17 points in the American Conference. The Owls can now clinch the first seed in the playoffs by a combination of gaining 4 points or by having MIT lose 4 points AND Westfield gaining 2 points and Bates losing 2 points.

The Owls travel up to Bates College on Friday night to take on the Bears and will look to secure at least the second seed in the playoffs with a regulation win. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter @wsuclub.

KEY STATS
Goals: Salamon (2)
Assists: Bruso (1), Leonard (1), Nixon (1)
Saves: Thornton (35)
Power Play: 0 for 3 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 1 for 1 (100%)

2012 Senior Night

Westfield, MA --- The Owls will have their last home game of the 2011-12 season this afternoon when they host Harvard University at 5pm. It will be the last game in Westfield for eight Seniors and will be the last home game for coach Dr. Scott White. We encourage all students, friends and family to come down to Amelia Park this afternoon to cheer on the Owls as they look to stay atop the American Conference.

2011-2012 Seniors
#4 Brett Salamon
#5 Tommmy Bruso
#6 Will Keating
#8 Nico Gilbert
#11 Peter Richardson
#12 Chris Hess
#18 Corey Tobin
#23 Ryan Laughlin

Westfield State Beats Sacred Heart 6-2

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls defeated Sacred Heart University on Saturday afternoon 6-2 to improve their season record to 10-3-0-1. The Owls outscored the Pioneers 14-5 in the season series. After being delayed, the Owls got off to another slow start when Sacred Heart scored only 31 seconds into the game. The Owls would dominate most of the first period and out shot the Pioneers 27-15 but would head into the locker room trailing 1-0.

The Owls came out strong in the second period and would tie the game on a power play goal by Joey Green. Bobby Hayhurst's blast from the point went wide of the net and Green shot the puck past Sacred Heart's goaltender Andrew Calamari. The teams exchanged scoring chances in a chippy period as the teams combined for 10 penalties in the second period. The Owls would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission when Pete Richardson poked in a loose puck with 1.2 seconds remaining in the period. Anthony Hardy fired the puck towards the net and Richardson was there to poke it into the empty net.

The goal was a huge momentum booster for the Owls as they would go on to score 4 goals in the final 20 minutes. Tommy Bruso opened the period with a goal at 17:28 when Nico Gilbert found him in the slot. Ryan Leonard would give the Owls a 4-1 lead with a short-handed goal at 11:50. David Russo would pick up an assist on the 2 on 1 goal. However, Sacred Heart would score 35 seconds later on the power play to make it a 4-2 game midway through the third period. Tommy Bruso would score his second goal of the night at 10:03 to regain the three goal lead for the Owls. Anthony Hardy would close out the scoring with 1:17 remaining with a power play goal. The Owls would finish 2 for 8 with the man advantage.

The Owls host Harvard University on Saturday afternoon at 5pm. The Owls beat the Crimson 4-2 on December 3rd. The Owls will be celebrating "Senior Night" and it will be the last home game for coach Dr. Scott White. You can get game updates by following the club's twitter account at @wsuclub.

Key Stats
Goals: Green (1), Richardson (1), Bruso (2), Hardy (1)
Saves: Franco (35)
Power Play: 2 for 8 (25%)
Penalty Kills: 4 for 5 (80%)

Owls Clinch Playoff Spot

Westfield, MA --- On Sunday night, the Westfield State Owls lost 6-5 in overtime against MIT. With the point, the Owls clinched a playoff spot and will be heading to Nashua, NH on February 18th. The Owls last qualified for the playoffs in 2008 when they lost to MIT in the semi-finals.

The Owls fell behind early when MIT scored 6 minutes into the game when Allen Lai was alone in the slot and beat Owls' netminder Chase Thornton. The Owls would tie the game midway through the period when Rob Collins rushed the puck up the left wing boards and passed the puck to Anthony Hardy who fired the puck past Jenna Klein. With 2:30 remaining in the first period, Corey Tobin would put the Owls on top 2-1 with a shot from the point. The lead did not last for long and the Engineers would score 3 goals in the second period to take a 4-2 lead going into the final period. Chase Thornton would finish the night making 26 save on 30 shots.

In the third, MIT would make it a 5-2 game with a power play goal from Dustin Kendrick. The Owls would start their comeback when Anthony Hardy picked up a loose rebound and put it into the back of the net. The Owls would score again when Greg Rice scored with 1:30 left giving the Owls hope. With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, the Owls tied the game up with 28 seconds remaining in the game to earn a point to clinch a playoff spot. It was Hardy's third goal of the night to record the hat trick for the freshman. MIT would grab the extra point when Larry Was scored just 40 seconds into overtime. Nick Franco played strong in relief and ended up making 12 saves.

The Owls host Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at 5pm. The Owls beat the Pioneers 8-3 in Shelton, Connecticut back on December 4th. You can get game updates by following the team on twitter @wsuclub.

KEY STATS:
Goals: Hardy (3), Tobin (1), Rice (1)
Saves: Thornton (26), Franco (12)
Power Play: 1 for 1 (100%)
Penalty Kill: 4 for 5 (80%)
http://achahockey.org/game_details.php?game_id=1218394&schedule_id=94216&league_id=1061&date=20120115

Owls Look For Revenge vs MIT

Westfield, MA --- The Westfield State Owls will resume their 2011-12 schedule on Sunday night when they host MIT at 7 PM. This game was originally slated for October 30th but was rescheduled because of the snow storm.

This is the second and final regular season match up with the Engineers. MIT beat Westfield 3-2 in the final game of the Fall semester. The Owls can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. You can get game updates by following the team's twitter account @wsuclub.