Westfield State Athletics

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Westfield State women's soccer team will play the University of Rochester (N.Y.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III national tournament. 

Rochester’s women will host the four-team regional on Saturday and Sunday. The Yellowjackets will play the Owls at 5 pm Saturday. The second game of the doubleheader will match Rowan (N.J.) University against Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 7:30 pm. Saturday’s winners return to Fauver Stadium at 6 pm Sunday. The winner of the Sunday game advances to the Sweet 16.

This is Rochester’s 17th bid to the NCAA Division III Championships, its second in a row and the fourth in the past five years. Rochester earned the bid as a Pool C (at-large) selection. The Yellowjackets tied Case Western Reserve, 0-0, in double overtime on Saturday night in Cleveland. Rochester tied for the University Athletic Association championship with Washington University. Both teams were 5-1-1 for 16 points. The Bears earned the automatic qualifier based on a 2-1 win over Rochester in St. Louis on October 18.

Rochester has an overall record of 12-3-3. The Yellowjackets scored 35 goals and allowed 10. The defense posted 10 shutouts, seven by senior Celeste Hornbach (0.51 GAA, 66 saves). Sophomore Ellen Coleman leads the team in scoring with nine goals and seven assists for 25 points. Junior Bridgette Varin is second at 6-4-16. 

Rochester is coached by Terry Gurnett, a 1977 alumnus now in his 33rd season on the sidelines. Gurnett earned his 400th career coaching victory this year (a 1-0 OT win over Penn State Behrend). He is the career victory leader among Division III women’s soccer coaches. His record entering the tournament is 409-130-62. Gurnett directed Rochester to the first two NCAA Division III titles – in 1986 and 1987.

Westfield State enters the NCAA Tournament with a 16-1-2 record and a school-record 18-game non-losing streak. The Owls also have set a school record for victories in a season, eclipsing last season's 15-5 mark when they participated in their first NCAA Tournament.

Westfield is led by Massachusetts State College Athletics Conference (MASCAC) player of the year Meg Gearin, who has set school records this season with 42 points and 19 goals. The senior forward ranks second on the college's career charts with 108 points despite only playing six games during her sophomore seasons because of injuries.

Junior midfielder Kate MacLellan is Westfield's second leading scorer with 31 points. She set the college's single-season assist record this year with 15 and is tied for the career assists record with 31.

Senior back Alicia Chandler - a first-team all-conference selection - anchors the Owl defense that has allowed only 10 goals 19 games. Other top players include junior midfielder Ali Pease and sophomore back Madison Farrell - both second-team all-conference picks.

Ironically, the Owls and Yellowjackets almost played in the 2008 tournament. Westfield State was sent to Ithaca to face the host Bombers (with Ithaca winning). Rochester played Roger Williams College in the same grouping and lost, 1-0.

MIT defeated Springfield, 1-0, to win the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship and the Pool A bid. It is MIT’s first-ever NCAA women’s soccer playoff appearance. MIT sports a 7-1-1 record over its last nine matches and is riding a four-match winning streak heading into NCAAs (12-5-2 overall).

Rowan enters the tournament after an upset loss, 1-0, to Richard Stockton College in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semifinals. The loss to Stockton snapped a school-record 12-game winning streak for Rowan (15-2-1 heading into the MIT match). Jess Babice leads a high-powered offense with 19 goals, five assists, for 43 points. She has seven game-winning goals. Veronica Rhea has 12 goals and 16 assists for 40 points. Three women have split time in goal for Rowan. They have allowed 10 goals and have 10 shutouts.