Roncarati’s Late Goal, Conley’s Crucial Save Lift Owls to MASCAC Title Game

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State graduate attacker Christina Roncarati (East Longmeadow, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal with 26 seconds remaining in the game as the second-seeded Owls defeated third-seeded Bridgewater State 9-8 in a MASCAC semifinal game from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. on Thursday night.

The Owls (10-8) will advance to the MASCAC Championship game and will travel to top-seeded Worcester State on Saturday at 12:00 P.M. With the loss, the Bears season comes to an end with a record of 8-11.

With the game tied 8-8, Izzy Conley (North Salem, N.Y.) made a save on Bridgewater's top goal scorer in Meredith Sylvia with 1:30 left in the game, gaining possession while also drawing a yellow card from the Bears. The Owls successfully cleared the ball into the attacking zone which led to an initial shot by Marena Morales (Tolland, Conn.) whose shot sailed wide of the frame. Kayli Bush (Westfield, Mass.) picked up the ground ball to keep possession alive, then after a missed pass which caused a loose ball in the fan, Roncarati scooped up the ball and side-armed a low shot into the goal for the lead with 26 seconds remaining.

After a Bridgewater timeout, Sophia Fleurent won a critical draw for the Bears and dashed into the Owls end, getting inside the fan with 11 seconds left before ripping a shot from point blank range which was saved by Conley who was then able to corral the shot and run out the clock.

Westfield was holding a narrow two-goal advantage heading into the fourth quarter and were denied on four straight possessions to begin the final period in an effort to extend the lead. With 6:37 to go, Sylvia started a flurry of Bridgewater shots, hitting the crossbar before Conley made three consecutive saves. The Bears maintained possession on a ground ball from Ashley Silva which led to a goal by Taylor Carter who drove from the top of the fan to trim the Owls lead to one goal.

Jade Munoz won the ensuing draw for the Bears and after a foul inside the shooting area, Fleurent deposited home a free position goal to tie the game at eight apiece. Neither team would score up until Roncarati's game-winner in the waning seconds.

Westfield took a 4-3 lead into halftime and forced a Bridgewater turnover on the opening trip into the Owls zone. The Owls cleared the ball into the Bears end, finding the stick of Emily Heslin (Wrentham, Mass.) who sharply cut inside one defender, then split two more before firing a low shot past Bears keeper Sara Skaff for a two-goal lead.

Bridgewater answered by potting three consecutive goals over the middle third of the period with Kate Fitzpatrick scoring an extra attack marker to tie the game, then Fleurent put the Bears ahead with 3:43 left in the period.

The Owls responded emphatically to the Bears' run, converting three straight goals over the final 2:09 of the third. First-year midfielder Bri McPhillips (Montgomery, N.Y.) gave the Owls an offensive jolt throughout the game, scoring from the center of the fan on a pass from Morales at the top to tie the game at six.

Morales put the Owls back in front with 1:07 remaining in the third, drawing a foul to set up a free position attempt where she would unload a low shot into the lower left hand corner of the cage, taking a 7-6 lead. Mercedes Rozzi (South Burlington, Vt.) kept momentum on the Owls side, winning the draw before racing directly to the net where she would bounce a shot in between the legs of Skaff to give Westfield a pair of goals ten seconds apart and an 8-6 lead after three quarters.

In the first half, Fleurent scored the first goal of the game for either side four minutes into the action, then Rozzi and McPhillips scored 2:24 apart from one another for a 2-1 Owls lead. Sylvia added a late goal as the two sides started the second quarter tied at two. The two teams exchanged goals in the second quarter with Rozzi's conversion with 6:56 left in the half was the final goal of the opening 30 minutes as Westfield took a 4-3 edge into the break.

Rozzi led the Owls with three goals while the first-year duo of McPhillips and Heslin both scored twice in their first collegiate playoff games.

Conley made 12 saves on 20 shots on goal for an Owls team that was slightly outshot by the Bears at a 28-25 clip. She made five saves in the pivotal fourth quarter. Skaff stopped five shots on goal for the Bears. After losing 14-6 in draws against the Bears in the regular season matchup, the Owls were far more effective in the draw, holding an 11-8 edge.