Vikings Dominate Plymouth State 6-1, Advance to MASCAC Final
3/4/2010 10:21:38 PM
Salem, MA – Head coach Bill O’Neill’s Salem State Vikings eliminated the Plymouth State Panthers at the Rockett Arena Thursday night 6-1 in the MASCAC men’s ice hockey tournament semifinal game.
Salem State improved their record to 14-8-4 and advanced to play the No. 1 seed Fitchburg State Falcons in the MASCAC men’s ice hockey championship on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers end their season with a final record of 17-9-1
Salem State raced out to an early 4-0 lead in the first period after receiving a balanced scoring attack. Three Vikings combined for 6 points in the match up. Casey Terreri (Warwick, RI), Chris MacInnis (Waltham, MA), Ian Flannagan (New Hampton, NH), and Dan Rowland (Waltham, MA), each recorded a goal and an assist. Nick Lampson and Derek Crocker scored one goal apiece.
Bryan Kriner (Newport, RI) scored the Panther’s lone goal in the second period.
Before the game three Salem State Vikings and two Plymouth State Panthers received honors from MASCAC. Salem State’s Lampson was awarded the MASCAC Rookie of the Year. His teammates McInnis and Samuel Cannata (Bozeman, MT) received MASCAC All-Star honors. Panther Chris Chambers was awarded as the MASCAC player of the year. Chambers and fellow Plymouth State athlete Richie Zobak (Evergreen Park, IL) were also named to the MASCAC All-Star team.
Salem State began the scoring early in the first with a snipe from Lampson at the top of the slot four minutes into the game. The puck traveled over the shoulder of Panther goaltender Aaron Runner (Alpharetta, GA). Less than two minutes later Crocker scored what would prove to be the game-winner as the Viking ripped a shot past Runner for the 2-0 lead.
Rowland and Flanagan closed out the scoring in the period as Salem State outshot Plymouth State 14-7 in the first and 42-21 for the game.
Salem goaltender Sam Avione (Ste-Perpetue Quebec) stopped 10 of 21 shots faced for the victory. Plymouth goaltenders Runner, who suffered the loss and Jack Astedt (Angelholm, Sweden) combined for 36 saves on 42 shots.
The MASCAC men’s ice hockey championship game will pit the Salem State Vikings against the Fitchburg State Falcons at Fitchburg’s Wallace Civic Center Saturday afternoon at two o’clock.