Buchanan, DeMaio Score Six Goals Each in 18-7 Win at Johnson & Wales

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State graduate student Kylie Buchanan (Westfield, Mass.) and senior Natalie DeMaio (Westwood, Mass.) each recorded six goals as the duo carried the Owls to an 18-7 victory over Johnson & Wales in a non-conference game on the road Tuesday night.

DeMaio and Buchanan scored all five Owls goals in the first quarter with Buchanan opening the scoring just 34 seconds into the game. Neely Connor (Kennebunk, Maine) tied the game for the Wildcats before DeMaio and Buchanan each scored twice over a seven-minute span to increase the lead to 5-1.

Mykenzie Black (Hopedale, Mass.) potted the first goal of the second quarter, then with Westfield ahead by three, Emma Prattson (Tolland, Conn.) collected a feed from Buchanan for the Owls seventh goal of the night.

Westfield dominated play over the final six minutes of the half, scoring four unanswered goals to extend the lead to 11-4 entering halftime. Buchanan scored her fourth marker off an assist from Shea O'Brien (Ayer, Mass.), then with 3:29 left, Olivia Hadla (Westfield, Mass.) buried a free position shot to up the lead to five where Buchanan and DeMaio would add goals to push the Owls goal total into double figures.

The Owls continued to increase their lead in the second half, scoring seven of the next eight goals which included a strong third quarter where Westfield held the Wildcats to a single goal. Mercedes Rozzi (South Burlington, Vt.) set up DeMaio twice to begin the third quarter, then later in the frame, Buchanan converted her sixth goal of the night to push the game into running time to begin the fourth.

Westfield's 18^th and final goal of the night came off the stick of Alyssa Benson (Underhill, Vt.) who scored her first collegiate goal with an extra attacker.

Buchanan finished the night with eight points (six goals and two assists) with DeMaio totaling seven points (six goals and one assist). Rozzi and Prattson each added two assists for the Owls which secured their first win of the season in the midst of a challenging non-conference schedule.

The Owls outshot the Wildcats 32-24 and held a slight advantage in draw controls at 14-13 led by six draw controls from Black. Kara Banagan (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Izzy Conley (North Salem, N.Y.) split time in net with Banagan logging four saves. Conley, in her first action of the season, also made four saves.

Westfield State will return home for a lengthy four-game homestand beginning on Thursday against Western New England in a non-conference game at 5:00 P.M. from Alumni Field.