Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – UMass Dartmouth received 14 goals from seniors on Senior Night, exploding for a nine-goal third quarter to down visiting Salem State 17-9 on Friday evening. With the victory, the Corsairs rise to 7-9 overall and 4-3 in the league, wrapping up the No. 4 seed for next week's Little East Conference Tournament.
The Corsairs secure the fourth seed for the second-straight season, and will host No. 5 seed UMass Boston next Tuesday, May 3 in the quarterfinals. The winner will advance to meet top-seeded Keene State on Thursday, May 5.
Senior Bo Prozinski (Ashland, Mass.) provided five goals on the evening and two assists, including all three of UMass Dartmouth's goals in the first half. Classmates Zach Drolette (Burlington, Vt.) and Tyler Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) each netted three scores, along with sophomore DJ Miller (Ashland, Mass.).
Salem State's offense was powered by senior Ben Melaugh (Billerica, Mass.), who tabulated two goals and two assists. Two other Vikings, seniors Alex Pearsons (Burlington, Mass.) and Bobby Bourgeois (Billerica, Mass.), also scored twice. Goalkeeper Kevin Lally (Beverly, Mass.) turned aside 11 shots in goal.
The first half was anything but a run-away for the Corsairs as the teams traded goals throughout. Melaugh put the Vikings on the board first as it took over six minutes for a score. Prozinski garnered the first UMass Dartmouth goal on a man-up opportunity before Pearsons put the visitors up one to end the first quarter.
Prozinski registered the remaining two first half goals for UMass Dartmouth in the second. Melaugh scored again and Bourgeois put in his first goal of the night at 5:13 to put Salem State back on top by one, heading into half with a 4-3 lead.
The third quarter was all Corsairs, as the hosts found their firepower out of the gate. Drolette began his career-high scoring night just 28 seconds in, tying the game, and Miller gave the hosts their first lead less than a minute later. Drolette would then respond twice more in the next eight minutes, keeping Salem State from taking back a lead and kicking off a six-goal UMass Dartmouth streak to close the third quarter. Prozinski would tally twice more, while senior Andrew Johnson (Hopkinton, Mass.) and sophomore Jordan Torres (New Bedford, Mass.) each scored their first of the game during the run.
To open the fourth, the Vikings jumped back within four on goals from Pearsons and Bourgeois, but the Corsairs would respond with four more goals, including three-straight from Prentice in just over two minutes, putting the game out of reach.
The Corsair goalkeeping duo of Matt LaFond (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Kyle Taylor (Raynham, Mass.) combined for seven saves on the evening. The Vikings got five minutes of action from freshman Chris Schaub (Brewster, N.Y.), who made one save.
UMass Dartmouth will look to take it second-straight against the Beacons on Tuesday, as the Corsairs downed their in-state rival in overtime, 10-9, on April 20. Salem State closes the season, finishing at 5-10 overall and 0-7 in the LEC.
