Familiar Foes: Owls and Rams Meet Again in the MASCAC Postseason

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Second-seeded Westfield State will take on third-seeded Framingham State in a highly anticipated MASCAC women's lacrosse semifinal on Thursday evening at 7:00 P.M. from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass.

The Owls (5-1 in MASCAC) come into the game after finishing with a share of the MASCAC regular season title and the second seed in the tournament, earning a first-round bye, while the Rams (4-2 in MASCAC) advanced to the semifinal after a dominant 21-6 win over Fitchburg State in the quarterfinals. The winner of this semifinal will earn a spot in Saturday's MASCAC Championship game, where they will face the winner of the #1 Bridgewater State vs. #4 Worcester State matchup.

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF OWLS VS. RAMS: Over the last seven years, the MASCAC Tournament has been centered around these two teams with Westfield winning six of the last seven conference championships. The Rams were victorious in the 2022 MASCAC Championship game, setting up a matchup between two conference heavyweights. The Owls and Rams have met in the last two conference title games, with Westfield winning both. This time around, the two teams will battle it out for a shot to advance to the title game.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: A trip to the MASCAC Championship game awaits the winner, with a chance to claim the conference title and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Westfield State will look to use their home field advantage to reach the championship for a third consecutive year, while Framingham State aims to play spoiler after a strong tournament showing so far.

THE MATCHUP: Westfield State enters the contest at 7-10 overall, with a 5-1 mark in MASCAC play. The Owls earned the second seed with a strong regular season, led by their potent offense and tough defense. In their last outing, Westfield secured a convincing 16-6 victory over Framingham State to close out the regular season. Framingham State, on the other hand, comes into the semifinal with momentum, having knocked off Fitchburg State 21-6 in the quarterfinals behind standout performances from Leah Green (Chelmsford, MA) and Hailey Baker (Peabody, MA), who combined for nine points in the win. 

Westfield boasts a balanced offensive attack, averaging 13.5 goals per game, while Framingham has a similar scoring output at 13.0 goals per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Westfield State will rely on a pair of all-time program performers on the offensive end in senior attackers' Natalie DeMaio (Westwood, Mass.) and Emma Prattson (Tolland, Conn.). DeMaio, who recently topped the 200-career goal mark, leads the team with 50 goals and eight assists. Prattson, the program's all-time assists leader, has a  team-high 47 assists while adding 29 goals.

In goal, graduate student Kara Banagan (Niskayuna, N.Y.) has been consistent throughout the season, ranking third in the MASCAC with a .490 save percentage and 77 total saves. Banagan's performance will be vital as the Owls aim to contain Framingham's offense. Senior goalkeeper Sydney Smith (Dalton, Mass.) also provides a solid option in net, ranking sixth in the conference with a .417 save percentage and 70 total saves. 

Framingham State will look to its leading scorer, Leah Green, who netted seven goals in the Rams' quarterfinal victory and has 57 goals on the season. Baker, a key playmaker for Framingham, has also been a difference-maker, contributing two goals and eight assists in the quarterfinals. 

In the defensive zone, Framingham's goalkeeper, Isabella DiMare (Wakefield, MA), earned the victory in the quarterfinals, making six saves, and will be a key figure in this semifinal.

Written by Tom Onorato – Sports Information Intern