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LEICESTER - Westfield State senior forward Amanda Burns (Hillsdale, NY) tallied three goals and senior midfielder Alicia Gardner (Athol) set the school career assists record to lead the Westfield State University to a 6-3 win over Becker College in the field hockey season opener Sept. 1.
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The Owls tallied three minutes into the game when Gardner fired a rocket from the top of the of the circle past Gosselin for the quick 1-0 lead. Westfield doubled the score at 7:01
when Burns had a fine tip-in from a cross from Gardner. It was Gardner's school record 24th career assist; she entered the season tied for the top spot with Kate Anderson (2003-2006).
Junior Jessi Gould (Canton, Mass.) made it 3-0 with a put-back off of the keeper's
pads. The Hawks finally lit the scoreboard on their first shot of the season when junior Stephanie Dixon (Rockport, Mass.) made a beautiful rush down the right sideline and beat Owl keeper Amanda McCarthy (Franklin, Mass) on a shot to the left post to cut the lead to 3-1 at halftime.
Burns scored her second goal six minutes into the second half then Hawks forward Victory Sirchia (Goshen, CT) scored to cut the lead to 4-2 halfway through the second half. But Westfield scored two more unanswered goals, including a hat trick goal by Burns, to take a 6-2 lead.
Dixon rounded out the scoring with her second of the game on a nifty cross from Brooke Cote (Fitchburg, Mass.) with just under 7 minutes remaining in the game.
Amanda Burns battles the Becker goalie for a loose ball. Photo by www.mortssports.net