Men’s Soccer Set to Host Fitchburg State in MASCAC Semifinal Match

With an overall record of 7-6-5 in the 2024 season, the Westfield State men's soccer team is gearing up for an intense playoff run, aiming to clinch a spot in the MASCAC finals for a second straight season. On Friday, November 8th, at Alumni Field, the Owls will face off against third-seeded Fitchburg State University in a semifinal showdown at 7:00pm, on their home turf. Currently sitting second in the MASCAC standings, just behind defending champions Bridgewater State, the Owls are ready to make a statement in the postseason.

Last season, the Owls advanced to the MASCAC Championship game after a home victory against Salem State which ended in a penalty shootout with Ethan Margolis (Wakefield, Mass.) netting the game-winning penalty try. The Owls lost to the Bears in the conference finals.

In the regular season, the Owls fell to Fitchburg State on the road by a final score of 3-1, which was the Owls only conference defeat. Westfield responded by winning their next two conference games which included a 1-0 win at Bridgewater with the game-winning goal coming from junior Sonny Mazza (East Longmeadow, MA) assisted from first-year Ryan Viana (Framingham, MA). The Owls closed the regular season with a 4-1-2 MASCAC record.

Fitchburg State heads into the playoffs with an overall record of 9-7-3 and a 3-2-2 mark in the MASCAC. The Falcons cruised to a 4-0 MASCAC first round win over Mass. Maritime to advance into the semifinals. The Falcons were victorious over the Owls in the regular season and also fell to Bridgewater, 2-0.

Westfield senior captain, Coleby Andrade (Falmouth, MA) applies instant pressure on his opponents and showcases counterattack skills to quickly transition to offense, with four goals and three assists this season. Andrade contributes the most shots on goal, as he supplies more scoring opportunities for the team. Alongside him is Mazza, whose speed with the ball also creates a fast-paced game that transitions to offense quickly. Mazza is a player that performs well under pressure, having secured two game-winners under his belt.

Defensively, Owls senior Jacoby Authier (Holyoke, MA) plays a physical game that can hold off the opponent's offense and recover or maintain possession of the ball. In net, sophomore Luke Theroux (Chicopee, Mass.) has started in 13 of 18 games played for Westfield including all seven MASCAC matches. He is 6-4-4 with a 1.31 goals against average and an .800 save percentage.  

For Fitchburg, first-year players' Ajani Guzman (Leominster, MA) and Justin Job (Worcester, MA) combined to be a problematic forward-midfielder duo against the Owls who together contributed three goals in the match against Westfield. Guzman has brought victory to his team with two game-winners and Job has three game winners.

Junior defenseman Zachariah Foster (Brockton, MA) also makes a mark for Fitchburg who can make plays and rack up points for his team as he is tied for second with five goals as well as supplying a game-winner. Alexander Carvalho got the start in net for the Falcons in the regular season meeting against Westfield, making four saves. On the season, he is 4-2-2 with a 1.24 goals against average and a .780 save percentage.

The winner of Friday's semi-final match will take on the winner of the Salem vs Bridgewater game which will be played earlier in the day on Friday at 3:30pm. The two semifinal winners will meet in the league championship match on Sunday at the highest remaining seed.

Written by Ashlyn Hough – Westfield State Sports Information Intern