The Owls return home to face Bridgewater State University in a key Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletics Conference game that also is part of Westfield State's homecoming weekend.
Westfield enters Saturday's game with a record of 4-2 and a 3-1 record in the MASCAC. Bridgewater comes in 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the MASCAC. The winner of the game claims the "Sodexo Cup" for the rivalry game sponsored by Sodexo, the dining service provider for both campuses.
Vital Stats: Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at Westfield State's Alumni Field, Westfield, Mass.
Media Coverage: The game will be video streamed live online at www.WestfieldStateOwls.com. The web stream will be simulcast on WSKB 89.5FM in greater Westfield, with Mike Drew and Jeff Underhill on the call. Live stats will also be available at www.WestfieldStateOwls.com
Last Week: Westfield topped Mass Maritime, 32-16 in Buzzards Bay, Mass. Senior running back Michael Mercadante rolled for a career-best 228 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. Westfield got a pair of TD passes from senior QB Steve Guercio, who completed scoring strikes to Scott
Nye and Colby Bostek.
The Series: Bridgewater leads the all-time series, 23-9. The two teams have met every year since Westfield started its football program in 1982. Bridgewater won 12 straight in the series from 1989-2000. More recently Westfield won three straight from 2009-11 and the Bears won the last two in the series.
Last Year: An 18-yard touchdown pass from Mike McCarthy to Matt Green with 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Bridgewater State University a 26-20 Homecoming victory over Westfield State University on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Swenson Field. Bostek ran for 55 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns for Westfield. Brian Beauchemin added 75 yards rushing. For Bridgewater, McCarthy finished 16-21 passing for 172 yards and three TD's.
Westfield on Offense: The Owls come into the game with a potent rushing attack. Mercadante leads the MASCAC in rushing at 135 yards per game, and has scored nine touchdowns. Sophomore Ryan Wilder spells Mercadante and gains 4.4 yards per carry. The Owls rank seventh in the nation in time of possession, holding the ball for 34:31 per game. Guercio has completed 51 passes for 603 yards and five touchdowns against just two interceptions. Senior wideouts Bobby Boire and Nye have been his top two targets with 17 and 13 catches respectively.
Westfield on Defense: Junior safety Greg Sheridan was named the MASCAC defensive player of the week last week after coming up with seven tackles and a pair of interceptions. He is the fourth-leading tackler on the team with 35 stops. Senior linebacker Troy Cutter leads the club with 48 tackles, and Julon McCoy has added 44. Senior DE Marcus Pettigrew has 11.5 tackles for losses and five sacks.
Westfield on Special Teams: Freshman Jordan Brown has been solid in the kick return game, averaging 30.4 yards per return. Mike Bortolussi has made three of five field goals this year. John Ollari averages nearly 38 yards per punt.
Bridgewater on Offense: Quarterback Danny Higgins leads a well balanced attack, having completed 55 percent of his passes for 1510 yards and eight touchdowns. Blaise Branch is the top running back with 438 yards gained - but the Bears feature several runners - including ECAC rookie of the week Alex McLaughlin, who ran for more than 100 yards against Plymouth State last week. Green leads the receiving corps with 45 catches for 553 yards, and Michael Viola (19-413) and Travis Bassett (22-296) are also active in the passing game.
Bridgewater on Defense: Linebacker Nicholas Salois leads the club with 50 tackles and a pair of interceptions. Defensive linemen Marty Voorhis (11.5 tackles for losses and two sacks) and Elvis Romero (10 TFLs and five sacks) put pressure on opposing offenses.
Bridgewater on Special Teams: Green is dangerous in both the kick and punt return game; he's returned two punts for touchdowns this season. Kicker Colin Neri is 6-8 on field goals and has converted 18 of 19 extra points.
Merc Watch: Mercadante has 809 rushing yards and a nine TD's on his resume to date this season. He has now surpassed 2,500 rushing yards in his career (2,513) and is 144 yards away from passing Shawn Lyman into fourth on the Owls' all-time rushing list. His 31 career touchdowns have him third on the Owls all-time scoring leaders behind Westfield State Athletics Hall of Famers Matt Yvon (who will be honored at halftime today) and Tim Lightfoot.
Next Week: On the road again, Westfield travels to Fitchburg State on Saturday, November 1 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff in a game that could be a key factor in the top of the MASCAC standings. Westfield will be at home for the final two games of the regular season, hosting Worcester State on Saturday, November 8, then hosting Western Connecticut under the lights on Friday night, November 14 at 7 p.m.
Westfield Coach Pete Kowalski Quotes:
On the game: "You can't go by records. The league is a great league, a very competitive league, and we are happy we are in it. Every week is a dogfight and every week is a test and the opportunity to prove ourselves against a quality opponent and see how much we have matured and improved over the last week."
On Bridgewater: "They have good skill position players. Green's an outstanding player who leads the league in a few different areas. They have a strong quarterback and have run the ball well."
"Offensively they are very balanced, they have been able to throw the ball. Some teams have tried to take away the run, and they have been able to throw it . . . you have to kind of pick your poison."
"Defensively, Coach Vierra (defensive coordinator) has been there a long time; they are very sound defensively and rarely beat themselves or make mistakes. They are tough to run against and know where they are supposed to be in the passing game. You have to stay on your blocks and play to the whistle to have a chance against them."