Owls and Golden Bears Finish in 1-1 Draw

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior forward Kiana Muratsuka (Mililani, Hawaii) scored her fourth goal of the season late in the first half as the Owls finished with a 1-1 draw against Western New England in a non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon from Springfield, Mass.

On the season, the Owls move to 5-3-3 and have not lost in five straight matches, winning the previous four games. The Golden Bears stand at 5-1-5 overall.

Western New England opened the game's scoring off of a corner kick when Stephanie McKenna (North Attleboro, Mass.) found Kyleigh Wheaton (Dartmouth, Mass.) for the goal 8:13 into the match.

Westfield responded with the equalizing goal shortly after the Wheaton marker. Morgan Berthiaume (Webster, Mass.) possessed the ball in the middle of the field where she was fouled just outside the top of the penalty area, setting up a free kick.

Muratsuka attempted the free kick try, hooking a shot around a wall of Golden Bears' defenders and sneaking the attempt past the diving Molly McLaughlin (Guilford, Conn.) to draw the Owls even.

Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) had a scoring chance 16 seconds into the match as she would fire a low-centered shot that McLaughlin stopped but not corralled. Parker saved the rebounded shot on the end line and directed a tight-angled shot on goal that was saved by McLaughlin.

There were only eight total shots on goal in the match, two of which came from Western New England in the final ten minutes of regulation. Seeing her first collegiate action, first-year Katie Valentine (Oxford, Mass.) stopped a pair of Golden Bears shots on goal, including a leaping save on the second attempt off of a WNE free kick.

Valentine recorded three saves for the Owls, playing the back half of the game while Kayla Santucci (Agawam, Mass.) started the first half for Westfield.

The Owls held a slight edge in shots at 17-16 with Muratsuka leading both sides with six total shots.

Westfield State enters back into league play on Friday night as the Owls travel to MCLA for a MASCAC matchup at 6:00 P.M.