Berthiaume Scores Twice, Owls Surge Past Worcester 3-0 to Advance to Title Game

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass.) scored a pair of goals as the Owls totaled three second half goals to pull away from Worcester State 3-0 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference semifinal game from Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. on Friday afternoon.

The second-seeded Owls advance into the MASCAC Championship game for the fourth straight season and will face the winner of top seeded Bridgewater State and fourth-seeded Fitchburg State on Sunday. If the Bears win, the Owls will travel to Bridgewater for the title game and if the Falcons win the Owls will host a championship match from Alumni Field. Times to be announced later in the day.

The match entered the second half scoreless with the Owls nearly converting with less than ten minutes remaining in the first half after a shot from Kiki McNary (Brattleboro, Vt.) clipped the crossbar, bouncing down and into the penalty area where a return shot from Livie Crooks (Wilbraham, Mass.) was partially blocked by a Lancers defender, keeping the game scoreless.

Six minutes into the second half, Kiana Muratsuka (Mililani, Hawaii) possessed the ball downfield and ripped a high shot towards the net that was tipped up and over the crossbar by Lancers goalkeeper Ella Gumienny (Douglas, Mass.). On the ensuing corner kick, Muratsuka lofted a ball into the front edge of the box where Kylie Tomasetti (Northborough, Mass.) headed the ball off the crossbar, with the ball settling back down inside the goalie box for Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) who tapped home the game's opening goal.

The Lancers responded with a pair of shots from Ava Lemanski (Clinton, Mass.) minutes after the Parker goal, but Owls keeper Julia Robak (Chicopee, Mass.) was up to the task, denying both shot attempts to preserve the lead.

With 22 minutes left in regulation, the Owls capitalized on another corner kick, doubling the Westfield lead to 2-0. Muratsuka was the corner feeder who sent a pass into the box with Tomasetti getting to the ball first again, then with Gumienny aggressively challenging the ball, Tomasetti touched a pass through to Berthiaume in the middle of the box, burying her first marker of the afternoon to give Westfield a critical insurance goal.

In the closing minutes of the match, the Owls put the finishing touches on a strong afternoon performance. McNary intercepted a pass from just inside the midfield line where she would send a pass up field to Parker. Parker collected the ball, dribbled inside the 20-yard line and fired a shot that hit the left post, bouncing to the feet of Berthiaume who came crashing towards the back post to tally her second goal of the game.

Robak (W, 7-4-2) registered her second consecutive shutout for the Owls, making seven saves in the contest. Gumienny collected nine saves for Worcester as Westfield held the upper hand in shots at a 26-11 advantage. The Owls hit the crossbar three times and the post once as well.

Stay tuned for updated MASCAC women's soccer postseason coverage at WestfieldStateOwls.com as the Owls opponent will be determined after the Bridgewater and Fitchburg semifinal contest which starts at 7:00pm.