WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State senior goaltender Thierry Messeriver (Montreal, Quebec) recorded the shutout as the Owls bested the visiting Worcester State University Lancers 5-0 in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Thursday night at Amelia Park.
Messervier stopped all 26 shots that came his way, and although the lead was large, came up with big saves throughout the course of the game. It's the second shutout of the year for the senior goaltender as he improves to 9-5-4 on the season.
Sophomore Jake Ratcliffe (Canterbury, New Zealand) had a big offensive night, netting two goals on the evening to bring his season total to 11 – good for the team lead.
The Owls applied heavy pressure in the first, outshooting Worcester 14-5 in the frame.
Westfield hit two posts on point-blank opportunities before finally striking the back of the net on a tally from freshman Joseph Carbone (Marshfield, Mass.) to open the scoring. Sophomore Paul Frys (Portland, Oreg.) corralled the puck in the slot and slid it open to a wide-open Carbone who ripped a shot past the dive of Lancer goaltender Nevin Tardif (Dunstable, Mass.) and gave the Owls the 1-0 lead late in the period.
The second period would not prove much better for the Lancers, as the Owls exploded for four goals to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
Freshman John-Michael DiGregorio (Montreal, Quebec) and Jake Ratcliffe got the scoring started for the Owls in the second with tallies only 11 seconds apart. Senior captain Francois-Xavier Girard (St. Lazare, Quebec) carried the puck on the goal line and threw a pass into the slot that found its way right to DiGregorio for the finish. Ratcliffe would follow up seconds later after a miraculous faceoff play from Daniel Backstrom (Helsinki, Finland) to maneuver around the Worcester centerman that led to a feed to Jake Ratcliffe for the tap-in goal.
Later in the period, Ratcliffe notched his second of the game on the powerplay after a snipe from the slot, and Backstrom added another off a rebound from a Justin Alves (Woburn, Mass.) shot to widen the lead to 5-0.
The Owl defense was tested in the third, but prevailed as they killed off three penalties to preserve the 5-0 lead and the eventual shutout for Messervier.
Westfield ended up with a 45-26 advantage in shots on goal for the contest. Nevin Tardif held 15 saves before being relieved by senior Josh Reinstein (Woodland Hills, Calif.) who finished with 25 stops.
With the win, the Owls(10-5-5) improve to 8-3-2 in the league, while Worcester (5-13-2) falls to 3-9-1 in the MASCAC.
Up next, the Owls continue the quick two-game home stand on Saturday when they square off with MASCAC rival Salem State University. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.
The Lancers also host a MASCAC opponent in UMass. Dartmouth on Saturday beginning at 7:10 p.m. at the Worcester Ice Center.