Roncarati Records 100th Career Point, Owls Blast Rams 15-6 in MASCAC Opener

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Christina Roncarati (East Longmeadow, Mass.) registered her 100^th career point as part of a six-goal effort as Westfield State coasted past Framingham State 15-6 in the MASCAC opener from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. on Saturday night.

The Owls get off to a good start in league play against a conference rival, improving to 3-5 on the season and 1-0 in the league while the Rams fall to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in the MASCAC.

Roncarati's 100^th career point came on a free position attempt after she was fouled near the goal, attacking the net where she would bounce a shot past Framingham goalie Bella DiMare and into the cage to increase the Owls advantage to seven goals midway through the third.

Roncarati has 35 points with the Owls this season, adding to her 67 career points amounted during three seasons at Division I Saint Francis University.

The middle two periods were dominated by the Owls, outscoring the Rams 10-2. Marena Morales (Tolland, Conn.) got the scoring started in the second quarter, launching a shot into the net for a 4-2 Owls lead. Arianna Andresen (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) followed less than three minutes later, corralling a rebound on a free position shot from Kayli Bush (Westfield, Mass.) by floating a shot into the upper part of the net for a 5-2 lead.

Mercedes Rozzi (South Burlington, Vt.) and Emily Heslin (Wrentham, Mass.) took advantage of several Framingham infractions which gave Westfield an extra attacker advantage. Heslin located a cutting Rozzi for the first goal of the spurt, then Rozzi fired home a free position marker 56 seconds later to expand the lead to four goals. The duo was not done yet as Heslin again found Rozzi driving towards the frame, scoring for a third consecutive series for an 8-3 lead.

Bush tacked on a late goal with 22 seconds remaining in the half, capitalizing on another free position attempt for her second goal of the half to send Westfield into halftime with a six-goal margin.

Roncarati found points 99 and 100 in the third period with the first coming 3:10 into the period to give the Owls a fifth consecutive goal and a 10-3 advantage. Alessia Lye broke the run with a tight angled shot that snuck between the post and Izzy Conley (North Salem, N.Y.), but that was the last goal the Owls would allow in the third with Roncarati scoring two more times and with Morales scoring in between to propel Westfield to a 13-4 lead after 45 minutes, which ultimately put the game out of reach.

Roncarati needed just eight shots to pile up six goals. Bush and Rozzi both scored three times while Heslin added three assists. Andresen supplied one goal and two assists.

Emma Kendzulak led the Rams with a pair of goals and Lye totaled three points with one goal and two helpers.

Conley made eight saves en route to her third win of the season for the Owls. DiMare made ten saves for Framingham as Westfield owned a 36-19 shots on goals advantage. Westfield converted half of their free position chances, scoring four times in eight tries while Conley stopped both attempts for the Rams.

Westfield State will wrap up a three-game homestand on Wednesday as the Owls face Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass.