Parakilas' Hat Trick Opens Floodgates, 7-1 Over Plymouth State

WESTFIELD, Mass.  --   Westfield State's Nick Parakilas (Broad Brook, Conn./E. Windsor) tacked on three more goals to continue an early season scoring spree, powering the Owls to a 7-1 win over Plymouth State in a non-conference game at Alumni Field on Tuesday evening.

Westfield led 1-0 at the half, but bisted the game open with four goals in a 12-minute span early in the second half.

The Owls improve to 5-1-1 on the season, while Plymouth is now 2-5-1.

Parakilas got Westfield on the board first, as the Panthers played a ball back to their goalkeeper, but miscommunication led to a misplay, Parakilas stole the ball at the top of the 18, took a couple touches to the right and blasted one to the back of the net for a 1-0 Owls lead in the fifth minute.

The Owls largely controlled play for the rest of the half, outshooting the Panthers 11-2, and putting several dangerous crosses through the penalty area, but neither team could find the scoreboard for the final 40 minutes of the opening stanza.

Westfield finally extended the lead 2:49 into the second half, as Carter Hebert hammered a low pass to Sonny Mazza at the penalty spot, and Mazza rolled back to his left and fired a shot to the far post for the 2-0 lead.

Hebert figured in the next goal as well, taking an outlet from Westfield goalie Luke Theroux and slotting it down the left side to Parakilas for his second goal of the day in the 54^th minute, and three minutes later Ethan Margolis played a ball through to Parakilas for his third tally of the evening and a 4-0 Westfield lead.

Owls' bench boss Dr. Christopher Streeter substituted freely from there, playing a total of 30 players in the contest.

Parakilas now has a dozen goals through seven matches this season, a total that appears to put him in a tie for the lead in the nation in D3 pending other results tonight.

Westfied led 5-0 after a scary moment that led to a Panthers own-goal, as Westfield's Vincent Zozoni played a long serve into the penalty area, where two Plymouth players collided with the ball going off the head of a defender and in for the goal.  Both players were briefly treated on the field before walking off under their own power.

Westfield got a goal from Paul Whalley on a pretty set-up pass from Jesse Njamnshi in the 66^th minute to lead 6-0.

Plymouth State scored their lone goal in the 66^th minute, taking advantage of a misplay in the Owls end that looked like replay of the first goal of the night, with the Panthers Colby Cowan coming up with the steal and the goal.

The Owls added one more late, with Andrew Regnier tallying off of assists from Matias Otero and Ryan Denehy, as Denehy's long serve to Otero got sent across the box for Regnier to finish.

Westfield used three goalkeepers in the match, with Luke Theroux needing just one save to carry a clean sheet for 65 minutes, before being relieved by Alberto Truoiolo and Jack Reilly.

Scott Danroth made five saves for Plymouth before exiting in the 64^th minute, and Kole Matta recorded a pair of saves.

Westfield finished with a 24-11 advantage in shots, and a 7-6 margin in corner kicks.

The Owls will be back in action on Saturday, hosting Bridgewater State in a key MASCAC conference game as part of the campus' Family and Champions Weekend.  Kickoff is set for 11 am at Alumni Field.