Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Field Hockey team (8-10, 6-4) returns to the MASCAC Championship tonight with Westfield State (11-8, 7-3) hosting the #2 versus #3 seed MASCAC Semifinal matchup. Westfield fell in the MASCAC semifinals last year in OT, the Lancers are hoping to deal them the same fate this year in their bid to return to the championship. 

Final

Worcester State: 0

Westfield State: 1

How it Happened:

The opening quarter of action saw both programs evenly matched on the pitch with each team recording two shots in the action, both on cage. The Owls were able to claim the corner advantage with two in their favor to the Lancers one opportunity but the staunch defense of both teams made these advantages slight at the end of the time as the score remained 0-0.

Westfield would go strong in the attack to start the second grabbing two quick shots off of two more corners to set the pace for the second quarter. The intensity would stay up for both squads as each team ended the half with four shots on cage to continue the evenly matched postseason battle. 

The second half would find Worcester on the offensive attack of their own with three quick shots on cage in attempt to find the scoring edge, but the Owls defense were stalwarts in the circle pushing back the Lancer attack forcing the game into the fourth with a score still set at 0-0.

It would take until just under three minutes for the Owls to finally crack their corners droughts off a redirected drive from Abby Clark to Srin Lane that would fly over senior Madison Ferrara's (Somerset, MA) head to drop just below the cross bar for the opening goal of the match. That goal would be all that was needed as the Owls held off a bid from Worcester to claim the missed semifinal victory from last year in a 1-0 victory.

What's Next:

With the lost earlier in the night of Fitchburg State, Westfield State will host Bridgewater State on Saturday afternoon.