The 1974 Westfield State College men’s soccer team advanced further than any previous Westfield State athletic team, advancing all the way to the NCAA Division III Final Four, and finished third in the nation.

 

Largely consisting of players from Western Mass high schools, Westfield built on a 1972 ECAC Tournament bid and a 1973 first-round exit in the NCAA’s to complete the magical season in 1974.

 

The team, coached by the legendary John Kurty, finished with a record of 17 wins, four losses and two ties. Westfield was the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference champion with a 5-1 mark in league play. 

 

Along the way, the team earned Kurty’s 100th career collegiate coaching win with a 5-2 win over Boston State early in the season, and the season marked the debut of Westfield State University’s Astroturf Field, now known as Alumni Field.

 

The Owls defeated Coast Guard 10-1, and Framingham, 3-0 to win the Northeast Regional and advance to the final four, played in Wheaton, Ill.

 

The Owls won a physical game against Framingham, as Chris Moukas got the Owls on the board first, and Dennis Dugas added a pair of second half goals to seal the win and the trip to Illinois.

 

The Owls fell to Brockport (N.Y.) State 6-0 on a slippery, muddy field in the national semifinal game on Thanksgiving Day, but bounced back two days later to defeat MacMurray (Ill.) College by a 3-1 score with goals from Allie Goncalves, Chris Moukas and Dennis Dugas in the consolation final to claim third place in the nation.

 

Postseason awards poured in for the Owls, as forward Allie Goncalves, back Ken McCarron, forward Dennis Dugas and goalkeeper Mike Walker were named to the MASCAC All-Star team.  Goncalves was named to the New England All Star team, and McCarron and Goncalves were named as New England Regional All Americans.

 

Chris Lynch was named the team’s most promising freshman.   McCarron was the defensive MVP, and Dugas the offensive MVP.   Mike Walker earned the Coach’s Award, Carl Steele was named Most Versatile, and Goncalves earned the Department Award.

 

The 1974 Owls are well represented in the Westfield State Hall of Fame as six players have been chosen to the Hall as individuals, alongside coach Kurty.