Westfield State Ends Salem State's Season on Penalty Kicks

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

WESTFIELD, Mass. --  Salem State's season ended on penalty kicks as number three-seeded Salem State and number two-seeded Westfield State ended in a 2-2 double overtime tie. The Owls then advanced on penalty kicks. Westfield will face number one-seeded Bridgewater State on Sunday for the MASCAC Championship at noon.  The Owls record stands at 7-7-2 and the Vikings finish 12-4-4.  

Salem State started off strong by attacking early in the game. The Vikings had several opportunities to take the lead, with Gabriel DaSilva (Woburn, Mass.) taking a shot from about 15 feet away that just missed the mark. Brendan Davis (Dracut, Mass.) also had a chance to score when he sprinted towards the left side of the net, but his shot went wide.  

Despite missing these early chances, Salem State continued to dominate the game and spent the majority of the time in the Westfield zone. Their persistence paid off when Aaron O'Toole (Quincy, Mass.) scored the first goal of the game with a well-placed shot inside the top left corner of the net, thanks to a nice pass from Davis at 16:13. The bench and the Vikings' fans erupted with excitement, including the women's soccer team, who came to support the Vikings as they made the trip from Salem.  

As the game progressed, Westfield tried to mount a comeback, but was unable to beat Salem State's goalkeeper, Matt Hauntsman (Milford, N.H.). He made a brilliant diving save to the right of the net, catching Santino Mazza's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) header with his glove. The Owls came close to tying the game when Quinlan Davis's (South Kortright, N.Y.) shot hit the topside of the cross-bar. 

At the end of the first half, Salem State was leading 1-0, with Hauntsman saving all four shots while Theroux saved two of three shots. The Vikings had two corners compared to Westfield's one, and both teams had a yellow card with 10 fouls for Salem State and nine for Westfield. 

In the second half it was highly competitive and intense, as both teams fought hard to secure a spot in the MASCAC championship. Salem State was looking to maintain their lead, but Westfield responded with a goal by Santino Mazza (East Longmeadow, Mass.) at 61:29 with Ethan Margolis (Wakefield, Mass.) getting credit with the assist. Both teams continued to attack each other's zones, resulting in a back-and-forth game. Dylan Senra's (Dartmouth, Mass.) took a free kick from about 32 feet, which was passed to Michael Flynn (Dedham, Mass.), who scored, which brought Salem State ahead again, but Westfield quickly responded fifty-two seconds later with a goal by Margolis, tying the game once more. 

As the game progressed, both teams stepped up their offensive efforts, putting intense pressure on each other's defenses. Walaeddine Hounane's (Salem, N.H.) shot towards the net was saved by Theroux. Brendan Davis (Dracut, Mass.) and Salem State continued to attack, trying to break the tie. Despite their best efforts, neither team was able to score in regulation time, and the game went into overtime. 

In the first half of overtime, Salem State played exceptionally well, but they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. With 120 minutes gone, the game was decided by penalty kicks. 

In the penalty shootout the first attempt was by Josh Wietecha (Chicopee, Mass.) of Westfield State and Salem State's Dylan Senra. Although Wietecha missed his first attempt, Senra managed to score to the left side of the net. Westfield's Paul Whalley (Southwick, Mass.)  took the second attempt and expertly buried the ball into the right corner, while Salem's Walsh was unable to score as Therouix saved his shot near the left side corner. 

In a crucial moment, Salem State made their fifth attempt, but unfortunately, Jair Alvarez's (Lynn, Mass.) shot went wide giving Westfield State's Ethan Morgolis (Wakefield, Mass.) the opportunity to score and advance his team to the MASCAC Championship game. Morgolis didn't disappoint and scored, ultimately ending the Vikings' season. 

Salem State's goalkeeper, Hauntsman, saved six of eight shots, while Westfield's goalkeeper, Theroux, saved seven out of nine shots. The Vikings had eight corner kicks, while the Owls had six. Salem State had 22 fouls, and Westfield had 20.