Vikings Score Five Second Period Goals to Defeat Lancers 8-3

Vikings Score Five Second Period Goals to Defeat Lancers 8-3

WORCESTER, Mass. - Salem State exploded for five second period goals as the Vikings dispatched Worcester State 8-3 on Thursday night in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference action at the Worcester Ice Center. Ryan Tierney (Methuen, Mass.) and Jack Oberg (Rapid City, S.D.) scored two goals apiece to lead Salem State, which improves to 7-14-1 on the season and 6-9 in conference. The Lancers go to 10-9-1 overall and 6-7-1 in the league.

Worcester State freshman Marc Baron (Charleston, S.C.) opened the scoring on the evening with his first collegiate goal at the 3:10 mark of the first period. Worcester State extended the lead to 2-0 on a Henry Bruckner (Franklin, Mass.) goal at the 15:08 mark of the period, but a goal from Salem State sophomore Billy Hickey (Pembroke, Mass.) with just over three minutes remaining in the period cut the Worcester State lead to 2-1 as the teams headed to the first intermission.

Salem State tied the score at two just 56 seconds into the second period, as Brody Heleno (Mississauga, Ont.) sniped one high on the glove side on a 3-on-2. Following the equalizer, Oberg scored a pair of goals in the period, while Billy McGwin (Rochester, N.Y.) and  Tierney  added second period tallies to head to the third ahead 6-2.

Freshman Billy Falter (Wilmington, Mass.) continued the offensive attack with his third goal of the season for the Vikings three minutes into the third, before Tierney added his second of the game to extend the lead to 8-2. Worcester State's Cody Weaver (West Greenwich, R.I.) netted his first of the season to close out the contest, but it proved too little too late in the loss.

Sophomore Matthew Manning (Novi, Mich.) assisted on all three Lancer goals on the evening, while senior Mitch Purdie (Peterborough, Ont.) added a pair of helpers. Salem State's Bret Parker (Hanover, Mass.) added three assists of his own in the winning effort.

Sean Cleary (Barnstable, Mass.) made 43 saves in net for Salem State.