Westfield State 10, Worcester State 5
Auburn, MA --- Sophomore AJ Shiverdecker (Kettering, OH) registered a pair of goals and senior Mike Muolo (Stoneham, MA) registered four points to help lead Westfield State to a 10-5 victory this evening in MASCAC ice hockey action.
With the win the Owls improve to 10-6-2 and 7-2-2 in the conference while the Lancers slip to 5-11 and 3-8 in the conference. 10 goals marks the highest amount the WSC defense has allowed this season while it is also the most Westfield State offense has scored this year.
Sophomore Scott Sobrowski (Novi, MI), Muolo and freshman Craig Berling (Wixom, MI) each recorded tallies in the first eight minutes of the game to put the Owls up 3-0. Shriverdecker tacked on two more goals three minutes apart - midway through the period - before senior Jon Madsen (Somers, CT) found the back of the net for what would be the game-winning goal at 15:21.
Westfield State continued to break down the Worcester State defense in the second stanza as freshman Jeff Callahan (Londonberry, NH) scored on a power-play 59 seconds and less than 1½ minute later, classmate Jason Nelson (Raleigh, NC) netted his sixth marker of the year to put the Owls up by a commanding 8-0 margin.
Soon after Nelson's goal, the Lancers woke up from their haze and scored three consecutive goals in the second period in an attempt to get back into the game. Junior Justin Brownstein (Wyncote, PA) helped out in a big way as he scored two of the three goals. Brownstein broke the shutout bid at 11:42 with a short-handed goal before he added another at the end of the period on a power play marker.
But the Owls ended the threat quickly in the third as they put the game out of reach with two goals by Mulo and sophomore Pat Nelson (Cary, NC) who each scored two minutes apart early on in the final period.
Brownstein would go on to score one of WSC's last two goals to complete his first career hat-trick. Senior Mark Rintel (Oakland Gardens, NY) added a tally and two helpers to increase his team lead in points to 20.
Owl's sophomore Ian Wilson (Tulsa, OK) earned the victory as he made 27 saves while all three of Worcester State's goalies would see action this evening. Freshman TJ Cuneo (Woodridge, VA) shouldered the loss for the Blue and Gold.
Westfield State outshot the Lancers in the opening frame 18-7 before the Lancers would hold the edge in the final two stanzas with a 29-22 edge in the category.
Both squads will continue MASCAC play with games on Thursday. Worcester State will entertain Salem State at 5:30 while the Owls travel to Framingham State for a 4:40 face off.