Field Hockey Tips League-Leading Worcester State, 2-1

WESTFIELD, Mass. –   Westfield State University sophomore Madison Ouellette (Uxbridge, Mass.) made her first collegiate goal count, netting the game winner as Westfield State topped league-leading Worcester State, 2-1 at Alumni Field on Tuesday evening.

The Owls handed the Lancers just their second loss of the season, as Worcester drops to 7-2, 2-1 in the Little East Conference, while Westfield State is now 3-5 overall and 2-1 in the LEC.

Ouellette netted the game winner to break a 1-1 tie with 2:22 left in the third period, Westfield's Emily Martin (Southwick, Mass.) sent the ball into the top of the circle, where Shannon Roycroft's (Barnstable, Mass./Proctor Academy) shot misfired, but slipped right to Ouellette in the middle of the circle , where she fired a shot to the left side of the cage.

Westfield withstood offensive pressure from Worcester State all night long, as goalkeeper Riley Goulet (Marion, Mass./Old Rochester) made 15 saves, and the Owls got a pair of defensive saves from Jordan Conrad (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) to help preserve the win.  The Lancers were awarded a penalty corner with 15 seconds left in the game, and Emily Floury (Warren, Mass./Quabog) had a shot blocked by an Owls defender as time was winding down.

Westfield grabbed a 1-0 lead just 18 seconds into the game.  The Owls had possession to start the game, and immediately moved the ball deep in Lancer territory.  Cheryl Latona (Granby, Conn.) carried the ball into the circle, then passed to Allie Giguere (Lynn, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) just in front of Lancers' goalkeeper Madison Ferrara (Somerset, Mass.), with Giguere stuffing the ball in for a 1-0 lead.

The Lancers answered with a goal midway through the first half, when Madison Avilla (Westport, Mass.) gathered a long rebound off the pads of Goulet, and Avilla lofted a shot over Goulet, who had come off her line to challenge the initial shot.

Worcester held a 24-8 advantage in total shots, and a 12-3 margin in penalty corners.

Ferrara finished with three save in goal for Worcester.

Westfield State returns to action on Thursday evening, with a 7 p.m. game at Elms College in Chicopee, Mass.