Southern Maine Stops Salem State, 2-1

THE BASICS

Southern Maine, 2 vs. Salem State, 1

Records:

Southern Maine Huskies (5-3-1)

Salem State Vikings (2-8-1)

Location: Salem, Mass. – Rockett Arena

Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:00 PM

THE LEAD— Despite a late third-period surge and a stellar performance in net by Will Nepveu (Jr.), the Salem State men's ice hockey team dropped a close 2-1 decision to the Southern Maine Huskies at Rockett Arena. Declan Loughnane provided the lone goal for the Vikings, who were unable to capitalize on several power-play opportunities throughout the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The opening frame was a defensive stalemate, with both goaltenders keeping the game scoreless. Salem State's Landyn Greatorex (Sr.) won the opening faceoff to set the tone, and the Vikings’ offense tested Southern Maine’s Ean Badgett early with shots from Matt Babineau (Fy.) and Zach Dill (Sr.). At the other end of the ice, Nepveu stood tall, turning aside nine shots in the period to keep the Huskies off the board.

The second period remained locked in a 0-0 tie for nearly the entire twenty minutes. Salem State had multiple chances to take the lead during a series of power plays, including a 4-on-3 advantage midway through the frame, but shots from Aren Francis (Jr.) and Mitch Wilkie (Jr.) were turned away. The deadlock was finally broken with just three seconds remaining in the period. After a late Vikings penalty, Southern Maine found the back of the net on a power play at 19:57, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead heading into the second intermission,.

In the third period, the Huskies extended their lead to 2-0 at the 15:39 mark. Refusing to go quietly, the Vikings responded just over a minute later. At 16:59, Declan Loughnane fired a shot past Badgett to cut the deficit to 2-1, assisted by Aren Francis and Zach Dill,. In a final push to tie the game, Salem State pulled Nepveu for an empty net with 24 seconds remaining,. The Vikings managed one final scoring attempt, but a shot by Babineau went wide as the buzzer sounded.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Salem State’s Will Nepveu delivered a strong performance in goal, recording 29 saves on 31 shots faced. His counterpart, Ean Badgett, earned the win for Southern Maine with 26 saves.

Zach Dill led the Vikings' offensive pressure with a team-high five shots on goal and added an assist on Loughnane’s tally. Ryan Barrett (Sr.) also contributed significantly to the attack with four shots. On the defensive end, Aren Francis and Aidan Bender (So.) were active in front of the net, combining for several blocked shots to disrupt the Huskies' offense.

Special teams proved to be the difference maker in the contest. While Southern Maine converted on 1-of-3 power-play opportunities, the Vikings were held scoreless on six power-play chances.

Edited By Jack Zenger '25

Photo Credit: Lilly Nunez '25