Falcons Upend Vikings 6-3

SALEM, Mass. – Fitchburg State scored three third period goals, breaking open a close game to defeat Salem State 6-3 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest at Rockett Arena on Thursday evening. The Falcons received goals from six different player to improve to 7-4 and 5-2 in conference. The Vikings playing for the first time since December 7 slip to 3-8 and 1-6 in the MASCAC. 

Fitchburg State's Rece Bergeman (Newark, Del.) poked in a loose puck at 14:55 of the first for the game's first goal. The Falcons controlled play for most of the period, but an errant pass by goalie Brian McGrath (Worcester, Mass.) nearly led to an open net goal by the Vikings with just over a minute left in the period. However, with five seconds remaining Matthew Young (Hartland, Mass.) angled a shot past McGrath, tying the game at 1-1 before the first intermission.

Thomas Harty (Billerica, Mass.) quickly gave Fitchburg State the lead back just :23 seconds into the second. Both teams picked up the tempo in the period as Salem State began to gain offensive momentum. The Falcons' Hunter Fortin (Westerville, Ohio) gave Fitchburg State a two-goal lead, putting home a rebound into a wide-open net for a 3-1 advantage at the 14:38 mark. Later, Young found Erik Larsson (Lake Tahoe, Calif.) open in front of the net for a goal, bringing Salem State to within a one score at 3-2 with less than four minutes left in the second.

Still leading by a score, Trent Shanley extended the Falcons' lead when his shut fluttered over the head of goalie Joona Sato-Hunsula (Turku, Findland) and into the back of the net at 7:04 of the third. Salem State continued to fight back as Jacob Thomason (Youngstown, N.Y.) connected for a score at the 11:26 mark. The Vikings killed off a two-man advantage by the Falcons and appeared to have the momentum, but Fitchburg State struck twice for two quick goals to put the game away. Anthony Ceolin (Simbury, Conn.) and Cole Archambeault (Leominster, Mass.) scored back-to-back just over a minute apart to make the final 6-3.

McGrath finished with 17 saves in the win while Sato-Hunsula stopped 26 shots, for the Vikings, who were outshot 32-20.