Latona Strikes Twice As Owls Raid Vikings, 4-1

Westfield State's penaty corner crew readies for an attack.  Three of the Owls four goals were created on penalty corner scenarios.
Westfield State's penaty corner crew readies for an attack. Three of the Owls four goals were created on penalty corner scenarios.

WESTFIELD, Mass.  – Westfield State got a pair of goals from freshman forward Cheryl Latona (Granby, Conn.) as the Owls posted a 4-1 win over the Salem State Vikings in a Little East Conference field hockey game at Alumni Field on Tuesday night.

Salem State jumped on the board first, tallying in the eighth minute when Audrey Dalton (Hamilton-Wenham/Hamilton, Mass.) slid a pass in the circle to her right to Courtney Smith (Peabody, Mass.), who knocked the ball in at the right post.

Westfield tied the game at 1-1 seven minutes later, as Latona stuffed in a rebound of her own shot after Carly Zona (Auburn, Mass.) blasted an initial shot from the top of the circle on a penalty corner.

The Owls took a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute when Colleen Fellows (Auburn, Mass.) was stationed at the left post and converted a pass from Latona on a penalty corner for what would prove to be the game winning goal.

Westfield tacked on a pair of insurance goals in the second half, with Latona netting her second goal of the night and seventh goal of the season, and Emma Strode (Bourne, Mass.) netted her first for the 4-1 final.

The Owls finished with a significant 25-6 advantage in shots for the game.   Katie Vamosi (Oliver Ames/South Easton, Mass.) made four saves to earn her third win of the year in goal for Westfield, while Kaitlyn O'Shea (Roxbury/Ledgewood, N.J.) stopped 12 shots for Salem.

Westfield improves to 6-8 and 4-4 in the Little East, while Salem falls to 0-12, and 8-8 in the conference. 

Westfield State returns to action on Saturday with a 3:30 game at the University of Southern Maine.