Men’s Ice Hockey Blanks Framingham State in 3–0 MASCAC Conference Victory

THE BASICS

Framingham State 0 vs. Salem State University 3 

Records: 

Framingham State Rams  (5-16-0) 

Salem State Vikings (8-12-3)

Location: Salem, MA

Date: Saturday February 7th, 2026 

THE BASICS:

 The Salem State Vikings earned a 3–0 conference victory over the Framingham State Rams behind a dominant first-period performance. Salem State scored all three goals in the opening frame and held the Rams scoreless the rest of the way. Strong defensive play and a shutout performance from goaltender Will Nepveu secured the Vikings' win.

 HOW IT HAPPENED: 

The Salem State men's ice hockey team struck early and controlled the pace throughout, earning a 3–0 conference victory over the Framingham State Rams.

The Vikings set the tone in the opening period, scoring three times in a span of just under four minutes to seize command of the game. Salem State opened the scoring at 13:38 when Owen Locke found the back of the net off assists from Christopher Dowd and Nick Sweet to make it 1–0.

Salem State continued to apply pressure and doubled the lead on the power play at 16:06. Eric Whitelaw capitalized with helpers from Landyn Greatorex and Mitch Wilkie, giving the Vikings a 2–0 advantage.

Just over a minute later, Salem State capped the first-period surge at 17:06 as James Tatro scored off assists from Matt Babineau and Zach Dill, sending the Vikings into the first intermission with a commanding 3–0 lead.

From there, the game settled into a back-and-forth battle, but Salem State maintained control. Vikings goaltender Will Nepveu was sharp throughout the contest, turning aside every Framingham State opportunity to keep the Rams off the board and preserve the shutout.

Despite continued pressure from Salem State and attempts by the Rams to climb back into the game, neither team scored over the final two periods. Nepveu's steady performance in net, combined with strong defensive play in front of him, sealed the 3–0 shutout victory for the Vikings in conference action.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Will Nepveu would earn his first shut-out of the season making 39 saves against the Rams of Framingham State. 
• Owen Locke, Eric Whitelaw and James Tatro would all have a goal for the Vikings in the win against the Rams of Framingham State. 
• It would be Christopher Dowd, Nick Sweet, Landyn Greatorex, Mitch Wilkie, Matt Babineau and Zach Dill all would tally an assist in the game against the Rams. 

UP NEXT: 

The Vikings return back to action on Thursday February 12^h, 2026, where they will travel to Fitchburg, MA to take on the Falcons of Fitchburg State for a MASCAC conference matchup. Puck drop is set to start at 6:30pm.