The NCAA Division 3 Tournament begins this weekend, and the Westfield State Owls are ready to ball! After an impressive win last week over Worcester State University, the Owls took home their second straight conference title.
As head coach Rich Sutter mentioned, the student body and fans had the Woodward Center rocking “Great support from the students and the community, the stadium was packed.”
When asked about a possible rivalry forming by playing Worcester State twice now for the title, coach Sutter stated, “We have a great respect for them. They’re an excellent team and have a great young head coach. We try to keep our eyes on every team though.”
This game served as the perfect send-off for the team before they travel on the road to take on the Nazareth Golden Flyers. The Golden Flyers come into the tournament with an impressive 23-4 record and host the Owls this weekend.
After the 2018 season, the Owls had a complete rebuild but developed a culture of winning again. When asked about what made this team different from those in the past, Coach Sutter smiled and said, “First credit goes out to President Linda Thompson. She’s been our good luck charm since coming here.” He then went on to say, “The recruitment has been one of our keys to success. We’ve been able to extend our reach outside of New England now and have guys from Texas, South Carolina, and Ohio.”
It shows the new pipelines being built cultivate winning around here. This type of winning culture makes student-athletes come to play here.
When asked about what it would mean to win this whole thing, Coach Sutter said, “This team is special and has grown so much together. They have invested so much effort and energy into this season, so it would mean a lot to win it all.”
The Owls have figured out the formula for success by finishing the season on a ten-game win streak.
The Nazareth Golden Flyers will host the game Friday, March 4th, at 6:05 PM. The stadium is expected to be one of Westfield’s loudest the team will face all season, as the stakes are high. Playing on the road has been a strength of the Owls this season, though, by posting an impressive 8-2 away record. Flyers fans will undoubtedly look to bring an edge by getting the noise, but Coach Sutter and his men are ready.
When asked if the team prepares for a road playoff game any different, Coach Sutter responded, “I don’t think so. I mean, on the road, stakes are high, and a hostile environment. What more could you want?”.
This Owls team is red hot right now and full of confidence to take on the Flyers on the road. This looks like it should be an exciting and excellent matchup. Be sure to tune in and support the team this weekend. Go Owls!
