The Westfield State Owls field hockey team hosted the inaugural NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament Championship in 1981. The Owls advanced all the way to the Final Four, finishing third in the nation and playing their final game on their home turf. 

 

The Owls, coached by Kathy O’Neil, ended their amazing season with 11 wins, five losses, and three ties.  Along with great success in the National Field Hockey Tournament, the 1981 Owls won the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, with a record of four wins and one tie in the MASCAC Conference. 

 

The Owls advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Frostburg State (Md.), 2-1.

 

The semifinal round of the championship was played at Westfield State, with the Owls taking on the Trenton State Lions for the chance to compete in the championship game The Owls were defeated,  2-1, in a tremendous battle between both teams. The lone goal for the Owls came from Deb O’Reilly assisted by Nancy Campus in the last minutes of the game. 

 

The next day, the Owls played in the third-place game against Elizabethtown (Pa.) College. The first half the Owls went up 2-0 with goals from Lori Bess, assisted by Robin Murphy, and the second goal unassisted by Robin Murphy. The Owls had many opportunities to score in the second half but Elizabethtown scored twice to equalize the match. 

 

The first overtime period ended with the score still 2-2. The second overtime period started play and finally Deb O’Reilly scored the game winner (assisted by Lori Bess) to  lift the Owls to the third place trophy. 

Trenton State defeated Franklin and Marshall (Pa.) in the championship game. The Lions claimed the first place trophy with a 2-0 win over the Diplomats. The Lions ended their amazing season with a record of 20 wins and 0 losses (Trenton, now known as The College of New Jersey would become a power in D3 field hockey, winning a record 11 national titles). 

 

The Owls captains were Eileen Murphy and Nancy Campus. Several women on the team were honored with accolades for their hard work and dedication on the field. MASCAC All- Conference players include, forward Lori Bess, co-captain midfielder Nancy Campus, and defender Tracy Bergevin. The 1981 NCAA Division III All-Tournament Team included, Nancy Campus, Terry Eagar, Lori Bess, and Robin Murphy. 

 

Several school records were set by the 1981 Owls, including the longest winning streak at eight games. O’Reilly set the Westfield State record for the most goals in a season at 23, most goals in a career with 35, and most points in a season, at 54 points and the most points in a career, with  79. She was later inducted into the Westfield State University Hall of Fame as an individual in 2007 for her efforts in field hockey and softball.