Owls, Rams Claw to 1-1 Tie

Release courtesy of Westfield State athletics

Westfield State and Framingham State battled to a 1-1 draw in a key midseason Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer matchup at Alumni Field in Westfield on Friday night.

Westfield is now 6-4-1 on the season. Framingham is 6-4-2, 1-1-2 in the Conference.

Westfield opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when Amanda Magriand, an Ashland High product, blasted a shot from the top of the penalty area to the right upper 90 after the Rams failed to clear the ball after the Owls’ Nicole Gay attempted to cross the ball from the end line.

Framingham got the goal that leveled the match in the 54th minute, applying offensive pressure with an initial shot that was saved by Owls goalkeeper Natalia Falcone, but the rebound came out to the right side of the net where the Rams’ Michaela Hyland played the ball on a back heel out to Angela Palotta about eight yards out and she hit a hard looping shot that just eluded the outstretched leap of Falcone to find the twine.

Westfield applied steady offensive pressure throughout the match with a 14-5 edge in total shots and a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks.

The story of the match was the play of Rams goalkeeper Sara Sullivan, who managed six saves, but came off her line aggressively to punch away serves and crosses, and several times to slide to reel in Owls’ through balls just a half step ahead of the Owls’ attackers on to keep Framingham squarely in the match. Sullivan punched away three dangerous crosses in the second overtime alone.

Falcone stopped two shots for Westfield.

Both teams generated some offensive pressure in the overtime, with each team gaining two corners in the extra frame, but neither team put a shot on net in the extra session.

Framingham will next host Wentworth on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the University’s Maple Steet Field.