Top-Seeded Field Hockey Hosts Framingham in MASCAC Semis

WESTFIELD, Mass. – After a record-setting regular season, top-seeded Westfield State field hockey opens tournament play against sixth-seeded Framingham State in a MASCAC Semifinal game from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. tonight at 7:00 P.M.

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The Owls, searching for a second consecutive MASCAC title, completed a perfect conference regular season slate to lock up the top spot and the MASCAC regular season title, finishing the regular season with a 16-3 record and a 12-0 MASCAC mark.

The Rams wrapped up the regular season with a 3-9 conference mark and a 5-14 record. Framingham traveled to Fitchburg on Tuesday night and upset the third-seeded Falcons 2-1 in overtime to advance through to the conference semifinals.

Westfield and Framingham met twice during the regular season with the Owls holding the upper hand in both contests: A 2-0 win at Framingham which springboarded the team's current 14-game winning streak, followed by a 6-1 home victory later in the season. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs came two years ago in this same spot with the Rams prevailing 2-1 in a thrilling double overtime game.

Westfield takes to the field in the semifinals owning a 14-game winning streak, the longest such streak in program history. The 16 wins are also a new program-record, topping the previous year's 13-win team.

The Owls return plenty of postseason experience from the squad that won the conference tournament last season. Captains' Erin Lane (Canton, Mass.) and Kaleigh Murphy (Pembroke, Mass.) both scored game-winning goals to send the Owls through to the NCAA Tournament. Lane scored the lone goal of the match late in the fourth against Worcester, then Murphy tallied the go-ahead marker in the fourth of the championship game to lift the Owls to a 2-1 title win against Bridgewater.

Murphy comes into postseason play having scored 17 goals and recording 40 points, leading in both categories for the Owls. She has also scored seven game-winning goals this season and 16 for her career, consistently pulling through in late situations for the Owls. Her 99-career points are fourth in program history.

Behind Murphy's scoring is a pair of impact first-year forwards: Caroline Andrade (Watertown, Mass.) and Kacey Curran (Fall River, Mass.). Andrade has logged 12 goals and seven assists for the second-most points for the Owls while Curran has tallied ten goals and eight assists for 28 points.

Junior Ashley D'Elia (Watertown, Conn.) has also recorded double digit goals with ten and has scored in three straight games entering postseason play.

The Owls ramp up another tournament run with a senior-led back line, highlighted by goalkeeper Emma Gniadek (Worcester, Mass.) along with defender Maddy Barry (Norwood, Mass.). Gniadek backstopped both wins during the Owls title run last season and will begin the semifinals after a strong regular season where she registered a 10-3 record with a 1.78 goals against and an .812 save percentage. Barry supplied four defensive saves during the regular season, which is tied for third in the MASCAC.

Framingham visits Alumni Field with momentum after their first-round win over the Falcons. Finley Hogan, the Rams leading goal scorer, scored both goals on Tuesday with the second deposited in the final minute of the golden goal overtime period. Kaitlyn Tello also delivered a standout performance for Framingham, stopping 13 of 14 shots faced to preserve the victory.

Hogan has 12 goals and four assists for a team-leading 28 points for the Rams. Mikayla Malmquist is second in points, leading the Rams with nine assists to go along with five goals. Tello, who backstopped the Rams in the semifinal win versus the Owls two years ago, has a 3.99 goals against and a .739 save percentage across 17 games played.

In the other semifinal game, second-seeded Bridgewater State hosts fourth-seeded Worcester State on Thursday night. The Bears earned a first round bye while the Lancers defeated fifth-seeded Salem State 3-1 on Tuesday night. The two teams just recently played one another to close the regular season with the Bears overcoming a three-goal deficit in the fourth to rally past the Lancers in overtime, 5-4.

The winners of both semifinals will advance into the MASCAC Championship game played on Saturday. If the Owls win, they will host the winner of Bridgewater and Worcester at noon from Alumni Field. If the Rams win, they will travel to either Bridgewater or Worcester.