Men’s Lacrosse Downs Vermont State Castleton 16-8 In Conference Matchup

THE BASICS

Vermont State Castleton 8 vs. Salem State 16

Records: 

Vermont State Castleton (2-7-0) 

Salem State Vikings (4-3-0)

Location: Castleton, VT

Date: Saturday March 28^th, 2026 

THE LEAD:
The Salem State Vikings men's lacrosse team used a fast start and complete team performance to power past the Vermont State Castleton Spartans, earning a convincing 16–8 victory. Salem State controlled the pace from the opening faceoff, combining efficient offense and strong defensive play to build an early lead and maintain control throughout the entire game to secure their fourth win of the season.  

 HOW IT HAPPENED

The Salem State Vikings men's lacrosse came out dominate in their matchup against the Vermont State Castleton Spartans, setting the tone early with a commanding offensive showing.

Salem State wasted no time getting on the board, pushing the pace and capitalizing on early opportunities to score six goals in the opening quarter. Despite the Vikings' fast start, Castleton would respond with four goals of their own before the end of the first, keeping the game close with a score of 6-4 in favor of the Vikings. 

The second quarter, however, the Vikings would be dominate and completely control the play in the second quarter. The Vikings wouldn't just have strong offense but would also be dominate defensively keeping the Spartans off the board in the second quarter. The Vikings offense continued to click, adding four more goals to take firm control. By halftime, Salem State had built a commanding 10–4 lead.

Coming out of halftime, the Vikings maintained their momentum. Their transition game and offensive execution remained strong, leading to another four-goal quarter. Once again, the defense stood tall, holding Castleton scoreless and extending the lead to 14–4 heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter, the Spartans made a late push, finding some offensive opportunities and scoring four goals in an effort to close the gap. But Salem State matched that energy stride for stride, adding four more goals of their own to put the game out of reach.

The game would come to an end and it would be the Vikings to secure a convincing 16–8 victory over Vermont State Castleton. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• James Tatro would lead the Vikings offense over Vermont State Castleton scoring 6 goals to help secure the win. 
• Connor Vittands, Cameron Collins would both have two goals in the game against Vermont State Castleton. 
• Payton Cabral would lead the Vikings in groundballs with 16 in the matchup against Vermont State Castleton. 
• Salem State would outshoot Vermont State Castleton 34-11 in the matchup. 
• The Vikings would only have two failed clear attempts going 26-28 in the game against the Spartans. 

UP NEXT:

The Vikings are back in action on Wednesday April 1^st, 2026 where they look to return home to Alumni Field, to take on the Eagles of Husson University for a non-conference matchup. Opening face-off is set for 7:00pm.