Westfield State University men’s ice hockey seniors, from left to right, Robert Neuwirth, Thierry Messervier, Kam Limburg, Daniel Backstrom, and F.X. Girard are celebrated for their four-year efforts. (DAVE CASPOLE / WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – Sophomore Bryan Whelan (Rockville Ctr, N.Y.) scored two goals to lead the visiting Framingham State Rams over the Westfield State University Owls, 5-1, in Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday night at Amelia Park.
The last-place Rams stunned the Owls with three goals in the third period and a relentless offense that silenced any effort from Westfield State.
With the win, Framingham moves to 3-13-2 in the conference, while the Owls drop to 9-6-2. Due to a UMass. Dartmouth tie earlier in the evening with Fitchburg, this brought Westfield into a tie with the Corsairs for third place in the league.
The Rams got on the board first by way of a rebound shot from Jack Pierson (Livonia, Mich.) only a few minutes into the contest. Freshman Matt Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) carried the puck down the left-wing side and fired a shot that went in and out of Thierry Messervier’s (Montreal, Quebec) glove and found its way to Pierson who potted his third of the season.
Shortly after the puck went in, Messervier popped up with a confused look toward the referee, as an Owl defensemen barreled into the net and knocked it off its moorings at the same time of the goal. After a short discussion, the referees deemed the net was knocked off after the shot, making it a good goal preserving the 1-0 Framingham lead.
A whole period and a half went by before the next entry on the scoresheet, when Senior Assistant Captain Robert Neuwirth (Zlin, Czech Republic) tied the game at one with his tenth of the season. The Owls took control of the offensive-zone draw where the puck found its way to junior Josh Boulos (Burlington, Mass.) who ripped a shot from the point. Neuwirth grabbed the juicy rebound and finished it off for the power-play tally to even the game.
The tie game would be short lived, however, as Bryan Whelan’s fifth of the year put the Rams up 2-1 only 35 seconds later. Luke Olivo (Marlton, N.J.) found a streaking Whelan in the neutral zone who split the Owls’ defense and ripped a shot off Messervier’s glove and into the net for the breakaway goal.
The Rams carried that momentum into the third period where Whelan struck again just 16 seconds in to put Framingham up 3-1. Whelan lined up a puck that popped out of a scrum and slapped it home from the slot for his second of the night.
Framingham went on to add two more goals in the next six minutes to extend the lead out to 5-1. Matthew Siegel (Syracuse, N.Y.) notched a power-play goal and then Walker Hamilton (Anchorage, Alaska) added a goal of his own to put an end to Messervier’s night in net. Senior Kam Limburg (Howel, Mich.) relieved Messervier to provide a perfect 13 minutes in relief.
The Rams outshot the Owls 39-31 in the contest. Freshman Blake Carlson (Clermont, Fla.) picked up the win, making 30 saves in the standout performance. Messervier took the loss and made 24 saves before being replaced by Limburg who made 10 saves in relief.
Up next for the Owls is a pivotal season-finale MASCAC matchup with UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday night at Amelia Park. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.
That wraps up the season for Framingham, as they finish the year with an overall record of 4-18-3.
Before the game, the Owls honored the five members of the senior class of 2020. Kam Limburg, Daniel Backstrom, Robert Neuwirth, Francois-Xavier Girard, and Thierry Messervier were all recognized for their years of hard work and dedication to the program. – Courtesy of Westfield State University Sports
