Tollis Heads Home Game Winner, Owls Usurp Lancers
Tollis angled a headed shot to the right side of the net to break the tie and give the Owls the inside track to the number one seed in the MASCAC.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
Worcester St.
| Game Statistics | Westfield St. | Worcester St. |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 15 (5) | 9 (4) |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
| Fouls | 6 | 5 |
| Corner Kicks | 4 | 1 |
| Offsides | 0 | 1 |
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior Tia Tollis (East Longmeadow, Mass.) headed in the game-winning goal early in the second half as that was all the scoring the Owls needed to top Worcester State 1-0 in a MASCAC road match on Saturday afternoon.
In a matchup between the top two teams in the conference standings, the Owls handed the Lancers their first loss in league play, giving Westfield the inside track to the number one overall seed in the conference tournament. The Owls are now 4-0-1 in conference play and 5-4-4 on the season while the Lancers drop to 5-1 in the league and 7-5-1 overall. The Owls are now the only team without a conference loss in the MASCAC.
With 39 minutes to play in regulation, Emily Ottomaniello (Agawam, Mass.) took the space in front of her and drew a defender to the ball before dishing a pass to Olivia Crooks (Wilbraham, Mass.) who was making a run down the right sideline. Crooks gained possession of the ball and served the ball into the center of the box where Tollis was able to shield off a Worcester defender and angle a headed ball to the right of a diving Ella Gumienny (Douglas, Mass.) for a 1-0 lead. For Tollis, it was her second goal scored in her last three matches.
In a developing trend for the season, the Owls were able to lean on a fortified defensive unit as Westfield notched their sixth game (third straight) without allowing a goal. Julia Robak (Chicopee, Mass.) made four saves en route to her fifth shutout of the season while lowering her goals against average to 0.81 in 11 games.
Robak made several saves against the Lancers top goal scorer in Ava Lemanski (Clinton, Mass.), including two second half saves after Westfield went in front.
The Owls outshot the Lancers 15-9 on the match. Gumienny made four saves in a losing effort for the Lancers. Robak picked up her fifth win of the campaign.
Westfield State will step outside conference action for their next match as the Owls visit UMass Boston on Wednesday night for a 7:00 P.M. start time.