AmCats Rally Past Owls, 5-3

WESTFIELD., Mass. –   Anna Maria College scored the game's final three goals to rally past Westfield State, 5-3 in a key MASCAC men's ice hockey game at Amelia Park Arena on Thursday night.

With the win, Anna Maria improves to 15-5-2 overall and 9-1-1 in the league, while Westfield is 14-7-1, 7-3-1 in the conference.  The AmCats move to 29 points in the league table, in a tie with first place Fitchburg.   Westfield is at 22 points and sits third, three points ahead of Salem State.

Westfield took a 3-2 lead midway through the through the second period on Louis Ouellet's second goal of the game, but Anna Maria took over from there.

The AmCats tied the game 3-3 with the benefit of some nifty passing while shorthanded with Owen Barrow feeding Liam Murdoch from behind the net, with Murdoch in the high crease finding an open side of the net at 17:28.   Two minutes later, Braeden McKinnon flicked a wrister from the right circle that gave the Amcats the lead for good.

Anna Maria tacked on an insurance goal from Max Wennerberg early in the third period, but despite the Owls' best efforts last Westfield couldn't muster another goal.

The Owls pulled goaltender Noah Davis for nearly two minutes in the closing moments of the game, getting a brief 6-on-4 situation, and then closed out the game 6-on-5 with the empty net.

Anna Maria's Matt Hennessey was strong in the net, finishing with 43 saves as the Owls were able to pepper him with shots throughout the evening, including 15 in the third period.

Davis made 17 saves for the Owls.

Westfield will be back in action on Saturday, hosting Rivier College in a MASCAC conference game that will also be the Owls senior day.  Puck drop is at 5:35 p.m.