Field Hockey Sets Program Win Record, Soar Past Bears 3-1
The Owls improve to 14-3 overall and 10-0 in the MASCAC after notching a 12th consecutive victory.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Lilianna Atkins (Agawam, Mass.) scored the first of three unanswered goals as Westfield State set the single-season program win record with their 14th victory of the season in a 3-1 triumph over Bridgewater State in a contest featuring the league's top two teams on Saturday night.
In the final game of a Homecoming tripleheader, the Owls delivered with their 12th straight win to secure the number one overall seed in the MASCAC Tournament and at least a share of the MASCAC regular season title with a 10-0 MASCAC mark (14-3 overall). The Bears had their six-game winning streak snapped, falling to 8-2 in the league with both losses coming to Westfield and are 13-3 on the season.
The 14 wins sets a new program record, topping the 2024 mark set by the MASCAC-champion winning Owls which finished the season at 13-9. Westfield has an opportunity to build on their record with two regular season games remaining and at least one additional playoff game.
The Owls current 12-game win streak is a program record, shattering the previous mark of eight consecutive victories set back in 2000.
Bridgewater found the first goal of the game on a short side goal from Kallie Rose (Dartmouth, Mass.) after a defensive save from Maddy Barry (Norwood, Mass.) on an initial shot from Ellie Moberg (North Reading, Mass.).
Westfield responded 71 seconds later as Caroline Andrade (Watertown, Mass.) possessed the ball tight towards the goal, dishing off a pass to Atkins as Brianna Gagnon (Tewksbury, Mass.) came out of her net to cut off the shooting angle. The pass found Atkins who tapped in the tying goal late in the first quarter.
Ashley D'Elia (Watertown, Conn.) put the Owls in front in the second quarter, redirecting a sharp crossing pass from Kacey Curran (Fall River, Mass.) out of mid-air for a 2-1 advantage.
Andrade added an insurance marker in the third period, but it would not be needed as the Owls held a potent Bears offense to just six shots over the final three frames after allowing seven in the first quarter.
The Owls did a terrific job bracketing Samantha Souza (Dartmouth, Mass.), the nation's second leading scorer in Division III, holding her to without a shot in the contest.
Westfield held a 17-13 shots advantage over Bridgewater. Emma Gniadek (Worcester, Mass.) made two saves to pick up her eighth victory of the campaign. Gagnon (13-2) totaled eight saves for the Bears, suffering only her second defeat of the year, both coming at the hands of the Owls.
Westfield State, which already secured a first-round bye and the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament, will look for an outright MASCAC regular season title with a win in their next game as the Owls visit Salem State on Tuesday at 4:00 P.M. before returning home for senior day next Saturday for the regular season finale.
