NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Powered by a five-goal second period, the UMass Dartmouth men's hockey team posted a 6-2 victory over Salem State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday evening at Hetland Arena. The Corsairs move to 4-3-0 with a 3-2-0 mark in conference play, while the Vikings are now 3-3-0 with a 3-2-0 record in the MASCAC.
The Corsairs opened the game's scoring with less than a minute to play in the first period. After collecting a sharp pass from rookie forward
Alex Walker, classmate and center
Collin Patterson skated down the slot, angling to the right. Seeing an opening, Patterson slid it across the front of the crease to winger
Michael Perrone, who buried it into the open left corner.
Sophomore winger
Kevin Johnston pulled the Corsairs to a 2-0 lead to open the second period, scoring three minutes in as he buried a rebound from linemate
Tyler Stewart on the doorstep. Seven minutes later, the Corsairs struck on the power play as rookie center
Connor Little netted his first of the game. Patterson fed the puck up to sophomore defenseman
Lane Ruffner near the point. Sliding into the top of the slot, Ruffner fired a shot that bounced off Little's foot as he angled the puck onto his stick, driving home the backhander past the Vikings goalie in front for the 3-0 margin.
The Corsairs made it a 4-0 lead soon after as a quick-thinking pass by sophomore left winger
Vincent Nicosia found senior center
Colin Cromie with rookie defender
Nolan Wutzke on a 2-on-1 into the Salem zone. Another great feed across the mid-slot by Cromie over to Wutzke, saw the defender fire it home from the left circle at 12:47.
UMass Dartmouth buried another tally at 18:39, netting another power play marker as Little collected a pass from Perrone for his second of the contest. Ruffner was credited with the second assist on the goal and his second of the night.
The Corsairs closed out the second period with their sixth tally in the closing seconds of the frame as a pass from Cromie across the goal mouth found senior winger
Bryce Grennan at the left post as he drove it in. Wutzke was credited with the secondary assist on the goal.
In the third period, the Vikings got on the board as sophomore center Landyn Greatorex connected off a feed from linemate Zach Dill on the power play. Senior center Keagan O'Donoghue was tagged for the second assist on the goal, which came at 4:51.
Salem State added their second goal of the contest at the 6:31 mark as junior left wing Luke Day drove home a pass from Greatorex to close the gap to four (6-2). Rookie right wing Jake Stapert earned the second assist on the goal.
The Corsairs defense, backed by fifth-year goalie
Daniel Davidson's 21 save effort, held the Vikings scoreless for the remainder of the contest to secure the conference win.
In addition to Little's two goals, the Corsairs saw Cromie and Patterson finish with two assists each, while Perrone and Wutzke each recorded a goal and an assist. Senior center
Michael Mania went 16-of-28 on the faceoff, while Little owned a 12-of-22 margin in the circle.
For the Vikings, senior goalie Aaron Mercer shouldered the loss, recording 18 saves through 32:47 with four goals allowed. Rookie Will Nepveu came on in relief, making 12 saves with two goals surrendered. Greatorex, who had a goal and an assist, went 11-of-23 from the faceoff circle.
The Corsairs are now idle through the Thanksgiving holiday, but return to action on Thursday, November 30 when they host MASCAC-rival and nationally-ranked Plymouth State in a 6:15pm game at the Falmouth Ice Arena in Falmouth, Mass.
