By Izabela Gage Asst. Sports Editor Women’s soccer fell to the Westfield State University Owls 5-0 in a home game Oct. 12. This loss brings their overall record to 2-10-1 and their conference record to 1-2-1. The Rams promoted an impactful donation opportunity for this game, partnering with “Move for the Movement,” a fundraiser that holds annual dance exhibitions to raise funds directly for the “Road for Recovery” program, said Rose Flynn, director of “Move for the Movement.” Flynn said, “The ‘Road to Recovery’ program for the American Cancer Society is a service for people who do not have the ability to make it to treatments. They can use this program and they have volunteers who come and drive them to and from their treatments.” She said, “I'm a 13-year survivor. … When I was diagnosed, I was only 44 years old. “I went to my local hospital where I was diagnosed, and they told me that my treatments were going to require something bigger than what they could offer, so they directed me to Dana-Farber [Cancer Institute].” She said, “I found that everyone, my friends and my family around me, all wanted to be positive. So everyone told me, ‘You’re going to be OK’ and ‘You're going to be fine.’ “But I would call the helpline at the American Cancer Society, and they always let me cry. They always told me that they were there to listen and that they would offer help if I needed it. All I wanted was someone to listen to me and let me vent, and they were that person.” Flynn said when she started “Move for the Movement,” she wanted it to benefit the American Cancer Society but was unsure how to make it happen. “It took many years for us to work out all the kinks. “When I was going through my radiation treatments, my husband worked full-time. We had two children who still had lives to live, so my friends really picked up the slack. I had 36 rounds of treatment, and I had to be transported every day into Boston, and they took that up, and that's how we chose ‘The Road to Recovery’ program,” she said. “Cancer touches everyone - young, old, male, female, athlete, non-athlete. It would be a wonderful accomplishment to make it end, but without funding for research studies and awareness, that's not going to happen.” She said, “I have dancers who have been there the full 12 years and a lot of them will say, ‘This is something that I don't ever want to let go of but I'm graduating. How can I come back to help you?’ And I am touched because I don't see myself as a motivator. I do it because I would love for this thing to go away. It bothers me to see children and even adults watch people they love go through it.” Senior Captain Megan McAuliffe said she has been volunteering for “Move for the Movement” for the last nine years and she was the one who decided to partner with the organization. Flynn said she and McAuliffe’s mother are really good friends. McAuliffe said, “The director, Rose Flynn, is like a second mom to me. She has done such an amazing job contributing to the American Cancer Society in the last 12 years and I wanted the Framingham women's soccer team to make our contribution as well.” Flynn said, “Megan was the person who reached out to me, so she should get the accolades for that. “I was completely honored to have her team members and coaches say, we would like, as a team, to attend one of your shows. I was floored. I was like, ‘Wow, you're actually going to recognize dancers as athletes.’ She said, “I've often thought about asking football, ‘Let's partner up - let's see if we can raise money.’ “When Megan brought it up, she said, ‘I'd like to do this. Would ‘Move for the Movement’ be interested in being part of it?’ It just floored me that she wanted to because people don't typically look at dancers as athletes. So I just didn't think anyone would really want to do it, but Megan embraced it and took it on herself,” she added. She said, “These dancers who perform are athletes. The dancers work hard and they have just as much passion and determination as anyone else, and I was just fortunate enough to be a dance mom. “It seems that everyone who comes to one of our shows [says], ‘I didn’t know this is not a dance recital. This is a professional production.’ And that's my goal - to have it as a professional production,” she added. According to Flynn, “Move for the Movement” is on its way to surpassing $350,000 in donations over the past 12 years. “We do six dance shows a year, and each show has about 300 to 500 dancers. No two shows are the same, and over 5,000 dancers will cross the stage to perform.” Head Coach Michael La Francesca said raising awareness for breast cancer means a lot to him. “My mom passed away from breast cancer 16 years ago. So since I've been coaching for the last 16 years, we've always had a day where we remember everyone - not just the ones who lost their lives, but everyone fighting the cause. “I love that the tradition continues here at Framingham,” he added. Senior Captain Victoria Potter said, “As athletes, we often get caught up in our sport and it’s critical that we take a step back and look at the bigger picture. “As a sports organization, we are lucky enough to have a platform and I’m happy that we can use it for a good cause.” McAuliffe said, “The sports industry has a platform people are drawn to and excited by. It’s the perfect opportunity to talk about important issues. “I think athletes and sports teams, especially at a collegiate level, have a really big voice to advocate for health issues,” she added. Flynn said she would love to have more partnerships with Framingham State Athletics in the future. “This was my first time ever doing it. I would love to see something like this happen again. “I would love to have more sports pick us as a benefactor for their pink games. I don't know how to go about that, but if I have the coaches' information, I would love to reach out to them every year and say, ‘Hey, I would love to become part of one of your pink games, if you would like to have us,’” she added. McAuliffe said the game was a great chance to debut their new pink jerseys. The Rams’ started the game strong, with two shots on goal in the first 3 minutes, both saved by Westfield’s goalkeeper. The Owls took over the pace of the game and put their first goal on the board 6 minutes in. Two minutes later, Westfield earned a corner kick but missed the opportunity to score again. The action slowed down until the Owls tallied another shot on goal, but junior goalkeeper Madison Magone stopped it before it passed the goal line. Westfield took another shot 30 seconds later and the ball slipped just over Magone’s reach and they earned their second goal. The Owls tallied four more shots, only two of which were on goal. Both were saved by Magone. The next 5 minutes quieted down until Westfield went on the attack and netted their third goal. Neither team created any opportunity on goal for a total of 9 minutes. Senior Hailey Baker ended the calm with a shot on goal that was stopped by the Owls. Less than a minute later, Westfield took control of the ball and scored their fourth goal of the game before the end of the first half. Framingham substituted Magone for freshman Kailyn Bearce at the start of the second half. Freshman Bella Grimaldi opened the second half with a shot on goal, but was unable to find the back of the net. The Rams earned a corner kick, but the offense was unable to take advantage of it. Westfield earned their fifth and final goal of the game a minute later, with a strike to the bottom right corner of the goal. Freshman Hailey Ring charged from the central line and took a shot on goal, but the Owls’ goaltender stopped it from reaching the net. Westfield gained possession of the ball, but only managed a wide shot before the action slowed down. The Rams attempted to tally a goal 8 minutes later on a free kick by sophomore Tarynn Smith, but it was saved. The ball fell back in front of the goal, where junior midfielder Sarah Campbell guided it into the net, but it was disallowed after being ruled as a handball. Ring fought back on offense, attempting to put the Rams’ first point on the board with another shot, but the Owls held up defensively. The Owls took another three shots before the end of the game, but none were on goal. The Rams struggled to see any openings on the net for the remainder of the game. Potter said, “As a team, we are moving some things around in order to create more offensive opportunities. We will also be focusing heavily on mock gameplay in practice.” Framingham totaled eight shots with six on goal, contrasting with Westfield’s 18 shots with 10 on goal. Grimaldi said, “We're focused on progress and positivity. We're trying to make sure that we keep making opportunities and getting openings.” Westfield earned five corner kicks, with Framingham only tallying two. La Francesca said, “This game is something that I wish the outcome was a little bit different. … But the team fought and never gave up, and that’s all I can ask for.” The Rams host the Worcester State University Lancers in a conference game Oct. 18. [Editor’s Note: Bella Grimaldi is a Staff Writer for The Gatepost.]