Vikings Knock Off Rams 6-1 in Regular Season Finale

SALEM, Mass. – Six different goal scorers helped lead Salem State to a 6-1 victory over Framingham State in the Vikings' season finale on Tuesday evening at Rockett Arena. Goalie Aaron Mercer (Corner Brook, Newfoundland)  stopped 21-of-22 shots as Salem State improves to 10-12 overall and 8-10 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). The Rams are now 2-19-1 and 1-15-1 on the season.

Erik Larsson (Lake Tahoe, Calif.) chipped in a loose puck for the only goal of the first period, giving Salem State a 1-0 lead with only :16 seconds remaining before the break.

Later, Billy Falter (Wilmington, Mass.) beat goalie Trevor Stenberg (Randolph, N.J.) for a 2-0 Vikings' lead 8:43 into the second. Joe Smith (Holbrook, Mass.) got behind the defense and easily converted Salem State's third goal of the game as Richard Coyle (Weymouth, Mass.) threaded a perfect pass through the middle of the Rams' defense. Kevin Stoya's (Lake George, N.Y) shot from the point put Salem State in front 4-0 at the 15:25 mark of the second as Salem State dominated in the offensive zone, holding a 23-6 advantage in shots in the second period.

Luke Day (Ottsville, Pa.) and Luke Pepin (Lee, N.H.) added back-to-back scores in the third period, before Framingham State's Jacob Garman (Anchorage, Alaska) broke the shutout, slipping the puck past Mercer at the 16:22 mark, making the final 6-1. Joona Sato Hunsula (Turku, Findland) finished the game in net for Salem State making one save.

Stenberg stopped 40 shots for Framingham State, which was outshot 46-23 for the game. The Rams did not convert on their only power-play attempt while the Vikings finished 0-for-3.