Owls Athletics Set to Host Three Events to Close the Week

WESTFIELD, Mass. — Westfield State Athletics is set to host three athletic competitions to end the week as the winter sports season continues in its early stages. Men's and women's basketball compete in the Woodward Center as the men take on Amherst College at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday and the women take on Emmanuel College on Saturday, at noon. Also on Thursday night, the Owls take to the ice in a conference matchup against the Lancers of Worcester State at Amelia Park Arena for a 7:35 P.M. puck drop.

Men's Basketball vs Amherst – Thursday at 6:00 P.M.

The first game to tip off is men's hoops hosting the Mammoths of Amherst College. The Owls come into this one with a 6-2 record as they have won three in a row, two coming on the road, against Emmanuel, Anna Maria, then a home win against Elms.

The rookie, Kenneth Rogers Jr. (Springfield, Mass.) is at the helm of this win streak as he has averaged 20.7 points per game over that span including a 25-point performance against Elms on Tuesday night. Rogers leads the league in points per game with 19.8 and has two teammates, seniors' Angel Price-Espada (Cambridge, Mass.) and Lid Moreland (Bridgeport, Conn.) in the top five as Espada averages 17.3 and Moreland 17.1.

The Mammoths enter action on Thursday night with an overall record of 5-2 led by junior Chris Hammond who leads Amherst with 13.1 points per game followed by senior guard C.J. Mitchell at 12.5 points per game.

Westfield will hit the road for three straight games after Thursday's game and return to the Woodward Center in the year 2025 on Friday, January 3 at 3:00 P.M. to face John Jay College.

Men's Ice Hockey vs Worcester State – Thursday at 7:35 P.M.

The Owls will kick it over to Amelia Park Arena just an hour and a half after tip-off of the basketball game as Westfield hosts the Lancers in a conference face-off.

Westfield heads into this one with an even 4-4 record and 1-1 in conference play. Cooper Board (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) leads the Owls with ten points on an even split of five goals and five assists. Board is top five in the conference with ten points and is tied for sixth in goals. In Westfield's last conference matchup against MCLA, Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) tied it in the second period at two a piece. With no scoring in the third, Christopher Miraldo (Montreal, Quebec) scored a power play goal in overtime that was assisted by Pichette and Daniel Finegan (Chicago, Ill.) to push the Owls to even in the conference.

For Worcester, senior forward Brigham Neuhold leads the Lancers with five goals and eight points and has recorded at least one point in seven of his last eight games. In net, goalkeeper Jakub Kubic has emerged as the team's top netminder, starting in three of the Lancers last four games, posting a 1-2-1 record with a 3.09 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Worcester stands at 2-5-1 overall and 0-2-1 in the conference.

Westfield will remain in conference play for their next game as the Owls travel to Plymouth State for their next game on Saturday at 6:00 P.M.

Women's Basketball vs Emmanuel College – Saturday at 12:00 P.M.

To wrap up the home festivities this weekend, women's hoops hosts Emmanuel College on Saturday for a noon tip-off. Before Saturday's game, the Owls travel to Emerson on Thursday at 7:00 P.M. The Owls enter the two-game stretch with a 5-2 mark on the season.

On Saturday, Emmanuel comes to town at an even 3-3 record as the Owls have won three out of their last four. Westfield leads the MASCAC in points per game at 77.3 and third in points allowed with 66.4 per game. Jordan Grant (Gray, Maine) leads the Owls in points per game with 17.9, good for second in the MASCAC. Grant also is fifth in rebounds per game with 6.7 and second in field goal percentage at 51.6 percent from the field. Westfield has two more players in the top fifteen in points per game with Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) ninth with 13.4 per game and Maddie Pond (Holyoke, Mass.) 13th with 11.1 per game.

Westfield is back in action at the Woodward Center on Saturday, December 14 at noon against Lasell for their last home game of the 2024 calendar year.

Saturday Road Slate

Men's and women's indoor track and field will begin the 2024 regular season campaign on Saturday at Springfield College for the Springfield College Season Opener. Owls swimming and diving will compete at the Bridgewater State Invitational starting at 11:00 A.M. Later in the day, men's basketball travels to Colby-Sawyer for a 3:00 P.M. tip-off then ice hockey wraps up the weekend at Plymouth State for a 6:00 P.M. puck drop.

Find all the latest video, stats, scores, and news for all games at WestfieldStateOwls.com.

Written by Hunter Briggs – WSU Sports Information Graduate Assistant