Falcons Advance to MASCAC Semis, Defeating Westfield State, 2-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Westfield St. (3-12-3, 2-4-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Fitchburg St. (9-10-0, 4-3) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
FITCHBURG, Mass. – Fitchburg State University (9-10) blanked Westfield State University, 2-0, in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Quarterfinals on Tuesday evening at Elliot Field.
With the victory, the #3 Falcons will advance to take on the second-seeded Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Friday evening at 7:00 pm in Buzzards Bay.
Sophomore Jared Burns had a one on one opportunity in the 12th minute but was stopped on a point blank shot by Owls net minder Keith Hevey. Less than a minute later however Burns would find the back of the net just inside the box on a turnover by Westfield State to give the hosts an early 1-0 advantage.
Westfield State had their best opportunity of the early stages in the 26th minute when junior Jack Fisher ripped a shot from outside the box off a corner kick by senior Nick Tavares, but was turned away by Falcons keeper Aidan Hanratty.
During the first period the Owls held a 7-4 edge in shots and a staggering 5-1 advantage in corner kicks, with nearly all of them coming in the closing minutes, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunities.
Fitchburg State doubled their lead at the 22:49 mark in the second off the boot of freshman Zachary Young when he picked up a drubbed shot by senior Brett Smith on the far post to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Josh Hofer nearly added another for the Green & Gold at the 73rd minute when be broke free from the defense, but was stopped by Hevey on the shot inside the six.
Despite the loss, Westfield State held a 15-14 edge in shots, and 8-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Westfield State concludes their season with a 3-12-3 record, going 2-4-1 in conference play.
The victory ends a 26 year playoff victory drought at home for the Falcons, with their last win coming in 1988 in the MASCAC Championship game.
Fitchburg State will look to avenge their regular season loss at Mass. Maritime on Friday, as they were defeated by the Buccaneers 3-1 on September 26.