Vikings Come From Behind to Defeat UMass Dartmouth 3-2
Captain Damen Nisula's short-handed goal sparked Salem State to a 3-2 win over UMass-Dartmouth.
11/17/2009 10:44:50 PM
Salem, MA – The Salem State Vikings defeated the UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs 3-2 in their season-opener at Rockett Arena on Tuesday night. The victory was also their first conference win in the inaugural season of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference.
Head Coach Bill O’Neill’s Vikings and UMass-Dartmouth (2-1) were ranked first and second respectively in the MASCAC preseason coach’s poll. The matchup between the teams lived up to the preseason billing.
The Vikings found themselves shorthanded for a majority of the time in the first period. They amassed fourteen penalty minutes and allowed 18 shots on goal. The Corsairs scored two goals during their man advantage play. The combination of the superb play of Salem State goaltender James Lacour (Silver Spring, MD) and a late period short-handed goal by team captain Damen Nisula (Gardner, MA) kept the Vikings in the game.
In the second period the Vikings tightened up their play and found the back of the net. Sophomore Ryan Pezzulo(Newbury, MA) scored an early unassisted goal past the reigning MASCAC Goalkeeper of the Week, Senior Jon Dryjowicz-Burek (Ludlow, MA), to tie the game at 2-2. Junior Mike Genovese (Hingham,MA) capitalized 13 minutes later on a pass from freshman forward Nick Lampson (Groton, MA), and put the puck by the Corsairs out of positioned goaltender for the eventual game winner.
Goaltender James Lacour finished the game with 34 saves while his Viking offensive counterparts tallied 38 shots against the Corsairs.
The 1-0 Vikings will look to tally another conference win when they face off against the 3-0 Plymouth State Panthers at seven o’clock on Thursday night at Rockett Arena.