Westfield, Mass – Michelle Lazaro (Norwalk, Conn.) scored the lone goal for Western Connecticut (2-1, 1-0 LEC) as Westfield State fell in the home opener, 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Colonials forward Sophie Leeds (Trumbull, Conn.) fired a shot on net that was saved and then deflected back towards the center of the circle where Lazaro buried the eventual game-winning goal.

The Owls (0-4, 0-1 LEC) struggled to produce offense for the majority of the contest. Their main scoring opportunity came early in the game, where sophomore Madison Ouellette (Uxbridge, Mass.) directed the ball into the circle, where senior Cheryl Latona (Granby, Conn.) was stuffed on a point-blank save by Colonials goalkeeper Kayla Hnasko.

The stout Western Connecticut defense limited the Owls to just five shots for the game, while the Colonials piled up 21 shots including a 13-shot second quarter. Owls' goalie Riley Goulet (Marion, Mass.) stopped eight shots, and Hnasko saved the lone shot she faced.

Westfield State will look to get into the win column next Saturday as the Owls host Bridgewater State in a Little East conference matchup at Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass.