WESTFIELD, Mass. – A jam-packed weekend is in store at Westfield State as the Owls host multiple events this Saturday, January 25 including women's swimming, men's and women's basketball, and men's ice hockey.
Women's swimming wraps up their regular season with two meets this weekend starting with senior day this Saturday against Western Connecticut at 1:00 P.M. at the Ely Pool. The Owls will honor their three seniors Jenna Albrecht (Methuen, Mass.), Kelsey Johnstone (Southwick, Mass.), and Carly Thibodeau (Mendon, Mass.) before the meet.
All three seniors have had great careers, but Johnstone has stood out with record-breaking performances. Johnstone has multiple individual swimming records in her career at Westfield State including the one-hundred and two-hundred-meter breaststroke and the two-hundred-meter individual medley. Johnstone is also part of four of the five relay teams that hold school records in both freestyle and medley.
Thibodeau has been a standout student athlete, earning the President's Award for Leadership at Westfield State, while Albrecht has been a mainstay in the distance freestyle events for the Owls.
The Owls enter this dual meet at 3-3 and are following this meet with another one the next day as they travel to face Rhode Island College in the last meet before the Little East Conference Championships get started.
WOMEN'S AND MEN'S BASKETBALL
The action continues with a MASCAC basketball doubleheader at the Woodward Center starting with the women's team as they take on Salem State at noon.
The Owls are coming a tough 89-70 loss this past Wednesday against Connecticut College. The loss dropped their overall record to 6-11, but they have done well so far in conference play with a 3-1 record. They currently sit in a tie for second place in the MASCAC standings behind Framingham State.
"The System" has been working as it usually does as the Owls are first in the nation in three-point field-goals made (209), second in the nation in steals (302) and steals-per-game (18.9), and sixth in the nation in scoring offense (81.8 points-per-game).
Leading the charge has been junior forward Melissa Gray (Peabody, Mass.) who has scored 37, 29, and 32 points in consecutive games and has scored double-figures in six straight games. Gray currently leads the MASCAC with 19.6 points-per-game and leads the nation with 78 steals.
Contributing as well has been senior guard Chelsea Moussette (Southampton, Mass.) with almost twelve points-per-game and conference-leading 5.8 assists-per-game. Sophomore guard Isabella Aitken (Pittsfield, Mass.) has also helped the scoring with her near eleven points-per-game average, including a string of three games in a row with more than 20 points.
The Vikings are no easy task though despite their 4-12 overall record and 1-4 conference record. Within the conference, they are the second best defensive team in three-point field goal percentage and fourth best in opponent points-per-game. Senior guard Courtney Paschal leads the Vikings in scoring at an even fourteen points-per-game followed by freshman forward Liz Zaiter with 10.9.
Following that game will be a MASCAC Championship rematch in men's basketball between the runner-up Owls and the defending champion Vikings. Last season, the Owls came up short in the MASCAC Championship 66-57, but that is in the rearview mirror for this team.
The Owls have been hot winning four of their last five games including last game, which was a 96-82 victory on the road last Saturday against Bridgewater State. That win improved their overall record to 11-6. In the MASCAC standings, the Owls sit in second place at 3-1; two games behind 5-0 MCLA.
The Owls average just over 81 points a game, but it's been their defense which has propelled them this season by allowing a conference-best 75.7 points-per-game.
Helping the cause senior forward Jauch Green, Jr. (Hartford, Conn.), who leads the team with 18.4 points-per-game followed close behind by senior guard Vawn Lord (Amherst, Mass.) with an even 18. Graduate forward Marcus Collins (Cambridge, Mass.) and junior guard Malik Pouncey (Mattapan) have also helped the scoring effort.
However, the Vikings are always a threat with 6-7 senior forward Hakeem Animashaun. Animashaun is the current MASCAC leader in points per game (22.9), rebounds per game (12.4), and field goal percentage (60.8).
HOCKEY
To wrap up the day, the men's ice hockey team takes the ice at Amelia Park Ice Arena at 5:35 P.M. to battle Fitchburg State. It's the first home game for the Owls since December 7 when they played to a 3-3 draw against UMass-Dartmouth.
It's a big game for both the Owls and the Falcons as these two teams are trailing Plymouth State in the conference standings and are looking to maintain ground with the defending champs. Westfield could take over possession of second place in the MASCAC, and the driver's seat for a playoff bye with a win over Fitchburg.
At 7-4-5 with a conference record of 5-2-2, the Owls have two young guns leading the charge with sophomore Justin Alves (Woburn, Mass.) leading the team with 18 points including a conference-leading 12 assists. Not far behind is freshman John-Michael DiGregorio (Montreal, Quebec) with 17 points. Senior goaltender Thierry Messervier (Montreal, Quebec) has been steady in the crease with a 2.52 goals-against-average and a .931 save percentage.
The Falcons (9-5-2 overall, 6-1-2 MASCAC) also have their strong young contributors like leading goal-scorer (10) in the MASCAC sophomore forward Ryan Murphy and freshman forward Rece Bergman with his 11 points. In between the pipes is junior goaltender Brian McGrath who leads the conference in goals-against-average (2.01) and save percentage (.944).
TRACK and FIELD
Westfield State's men's and women's track and field team will be on the road, competing at Springfield College's Massasoit Invitational. Live results for the meet are available at WestfieldStateOwls.com
--Written by Joe Braverman, Sports Information Intern