Jason Diamond (file photo)
Posted: Dec 09, 2021
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior Jason Diamond (Lakeville, Conn.) tallied on the power play in overtime to give Westfield State a 3-2 win over Assumption College in a non-conference men's ice hockey game at Amelia Park on Thursday night.
Westfield trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before Diamond's late heroics.
The Owls were awarded a five minute power play after a butt-ending call with 1:25 left in regulation. The penalty carried over into the overtime period, and the Owls skated 4-on-3 for the first 54 seconds, with Diamond tallying on a shot from the left side after good puck movement as Dan Long (Guilford, Conn.) and Justin Collins (Wilmington, Mass.) picked up assists on the play, with Collins firing a hard pass through the Greyhounds defense to set up the game winner.
Westfield forced the extra period as Wyatt Lawrence (Sexsmith, Alberta) scored after Mattheiu Jones (Gatineau, Quebec)won a face off in the offensive zone at the 5:40 mark of the third period.
Westfield improves to 6-4-2 with the win and are 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Assumption dips to 4-5-1 on the season.
Sophomore goaltender Valtteri Valtonen (Helsinki, Finland) made 39 saves to earn the win for Westfield, while Drew Benedict (Cooper City, Fla.) finished with 27 saves for Assumption.
Matt Keohane (Quincy, Mass.) gave Assumption a 2-1 lead at 8:06 of the second period, scoring off a centering pass from Christopher Stalmok (Paxton, Mass.).
Assumption's Elliot McGuire (Reading, Mass.) and Westfield's Cory Morris (Kahnawake, Quebec) traded first period goals.
Assumption outshot Westfield 41-30 on the evening, but the Owls again stayed out of the penalty box, logging just six minutes on three penalties, while the Greyhounds accrued 23 minutes on six calls.
Westfield will break for finals and the holiday break, returning to action on Thursday, January 6 at Franklin Pierce.