Posted: Jan 13, 2024
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State first-year forward Emile Pichette (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) registered two goals and added an assist, but Framingham State rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Owls 4-3 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday night from Framingham, Mass.
The Owls fall to 9-5-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the MASCAC. The Rams move to 6-8 on the year and 6-5 in the conference.
Westfield closed the first period by scoring a pair of goals within 21 seconds of each other. Christopher Miraldo (Montreal, Quebec) extended his points streak to six games, tallying a power play goal for his 12th goal of the year to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.
With 56 seconds left in the opening period, Pichette recorded his first goal of the game, taking a pass from Daniel Finegan (Chicago, Ill.) to deposit his sixth goal of the year, doubling the Owls lead heading into the intermission.
The Rams cut the deficit in half in the sixth minute of the second period when Samuel Larkin (Douglas, Mass.) drilled a wrist shot into the back of the net. Patrick Colgan (Bronx, N.Y.) and Matthew Nuzzolilo (Worcester, Mass.) picked up assists on the tally.
Finegan would find Pichette for his seventh goal of the season as the Owls regained their two-goal lead with under five minutes left in the second period. Finegan generated an assist on all three scoring plays on the evening.
Framingham responded with a late power play goal to end the period as Scott Bugarin (Moreno Valley, Calif.) found the back of the net with 23 seconds left before the expiration of the frame, cutting Westfield's lead back to one goal.
With the game tied at three goals apiece, the Rams capitalized on a two-man advantage opportunity with Ashton Collazo (Victor, N.Y.) burying the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal with 8:11 to go in regulation.
Westfield goalkeeper Valtteri Valtonen (Helsinki, Finland) made a breakaway save on Andrew Miller (Waltham, Mass.) to keep the Owls at a single goal deficit, but Westfield was unable to find the back of the net for the remaining eight minutes of game action.
Valtonen (L, 5-2) piled up 43 saves. Trevor Stenberg (Mendham, N.J.) secured his fifth win of the season, compiling 38 saves including 16 saves in the third period.
Westfield State will return home to host MCLA in MASCAC action from Amelia Park Arena on Thursday at 7:35 P.M.