Westfield State’s Kate Matroni (#4) scored a pair of goals in Saturday’s women’s volleyball win over MCLA. (file photo)
WESTFIELD – Westfield State women’s soccer pulled out a key MASCAC win Saturday, cruising past MCLA, 4-0.
Owls midfielder Kate Matroni (Minnechaug/Hampden, Mass.) led the way with two goals, while freshman midfielder Lexi Kulik (Granby / Granby, Conn.) picked up two assists. The Owls outshot the Trailblazers 17-4 in the game, and MCLA couldn’t get a shot off in the entire second half.
Westfield started their goal-scoring early. In the 13th minute game, freshman Nicole Chretien (North Attleboro/North Attleboro, Mass.) beat a defender on the left side and fired a shot from an obtuse angle that was saved by Trailblazers’ goalkeeper Kathryn Daly (Cairo-Durham/South Cairo, N.Y.), h owever, the rebound eluded Daly and Matroni charged in from the back post side to beat another defender to the ball and toe-poke it back to the left side netting.
In the second half, Matroni scored again, this time heading home a corner kick from Kulik.
The Owls tacked on two goals in the final five minutes of play. Michaela St. Cyr (Lynn St Mary’s HS/Saugus, Mass.) scored off of an excellent cross from Nicole Gay (Smith Academy/Hatfield, Mass.), and then Ashley Bovat (Westfield/Westfield, Mass.) settled a cross from St. Cyr and ripped a shot to the far post from 10 yards out on the right side for the final 4-0 margin.
The Owls had a 5-1 advantage on corner kicks. Daly made six saves for MCLA, while Westfield’s Anne Stack (E. Longmeadow/East Longmeadow, Mass.)posted her fifth shutout of the year, needing just one save.
The Owls improve to 5-4 overall and 3-0 in MASCAC play, while MCLA falls to 1-8 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
The Owls’ next game is Wednesday, October 7th at home against Elms College. MCLA’s next contest is also on Wednesday when they take on Western New England in Springfield. – By Nic Odell/WSU student intern
