Junior Amy Grant – a Westfield native and Holyoke Community College transfer – had two goals and an assist in Westfield’s big victory at Salem. (File Photo by Mickey Curtis)
SALEM – Amanda Grant (Westfield, MA) scored two goals, including the game-winner in the 77th minute, as the Westfield State Owls rallied back twice to earn a 3-2 victory over the Salem State Vikings in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday, Oct. 12. Westfield State improves to 7-5, and 3-1 in the MASCAC while Salem State goes to 5-5-1, and 2-2 in the conference.
Playing in their annual “Think Pink ” game the Vikings and Owls played a scoreless first half. The period featured limited scoring chances with Westfield State failing to capitalize on a shot by Grant that was corralled by Salem State’s Rachel Ledbetter (Dracut, MA), who made a diving save to keep the game tied.
The remainder of the half was a back-and-forth affair that saw an apparent Westfield State goal by Collie Sambrook (Naugatuck, CT) overturned due to an offisides call, and nice ball from Salem State’s Kelly Birchmore (Swampscott, MA) to the front of the net, that the Vikings failed to capitalize on, and the game would go into halftime with a 0-0 score.
The second half became a wide-open affair as four goals were scored in a 10-minute span.
At the 50:18 mark, Salem State’s Leah Wood (Loveland, OH) hooked in a free kick to give her team the lead, but the Owls’ Grant tied the game over a minute later when she scored off an assist from Kate Matroni (Hampden, MA).
Sara Previte (Beverly, MA) put the Vikings back on top 38 seconds later when she booted in goal from 18 yards away, but Westfield State’s Sarah Sypek (Westhampton, MA) answered again for the Owls when she headed Grant’s corner kick into the back of the net. The game remained tied 2-2 until Grant outhustled a defender for the ball and snuck a shot from five yards out that slipped just underneath the arm of a sliding Ledbetter for a 3-2 lead.
Salem State had one last opportunity in the final two minutes, but a well placed corner kick by Wood narrowly missed going into the top left corner of the net.
Salem State’s next game will be at home against Worcester State at 2:30 PM on Saturday. Westfield State will play on its home field against Elms College on Thursday night at 7:00 PM.
