Westfield State’s Madison Dufries scores the Owls goal against UNE. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State University Sports)
WESTFIELD – Westfield State and the University of New England battled to a 1-1 draw in a non-conference women’s soccer match at Alumni Field on Saturday.
Westfield State got on the board first, scoring in the 26th minute as Bella Eduardo (Chicopee HS/Springfield, Mass.) crossed the ball from the left side, Marissa McGue (North Quincy/Quincy, Mass.) headed the ball down as she was challenged by Nor’easters goalkeeper Emily Ashman (Hand/Madisom, Conn.), and Madison Dufries (Leicester, Mass.) tapped the ball into the back of the net with the goalkeeper out.
UNE tied the game in the 53rd minute, as Avery Bond (Erskine/Jefferson, Maine) crossed the ball from the right side to Vanessa Hodge (Sanford, Maine) , who one-timed a high shot just under the cross bar to tie the match.
Westfield is now 1-2-1 after the tie. UNE has an 0-2-1 record.
Both teams had their chances throughout the duration of the second half and in the overtimes. UNE had a golden chance late in the second half, only to see Owls defender Gianna Moncecchi (Waconah/Windsor, Mass.) clear a hard cross away from the goalmouth with Owls goalkeeper Brianna Hawley gathering the ball.
Westfield’s Casey Rotti (Wachussett/Rutland, Mass.) fired a blast just wide with eight minutes left in the second overtime, and then UNE’s Ashley Sherman (Valley Regional/Essex, Conn.) put a header on goal off of a free kick, that Hawley saved with less than four minutes to play.
Hawley finished with 13 saves in her first collegiate start. She was pressed in to starting duty when Owls’ senior goalkeeper Natalia Falcone (Sutton, Mass.) was unable to play after an injury during the warm up. Ashman made 10 stops for the Nor’Easters. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
