Corsairs Pull Away For 7-4 Victory Over Vikings

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications  

SALEM, Mass.- Collin Patterson (Rockledge, Fl.) recorded a hat trick and UMass Dartmouth scored four times during the final twenty minutes of regulation giving them a 7-4 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Salem State on Thursday night at Rockett Arena. The Corsairs are now 10-6, 8-4 while the Vikings drop to 4-12, 4-8.  

At the 7:25 mark, UMass Dartmouth's Doug Doren (Lakewood, Ohio) was sent to the box for hooking, giving Salem State a power play opportunity. The Vikings made the Corsairs pay as Keagan O'Donoghue (Frisco, TX.) took advantage and shot the puck into the right side of the net, giving Salem State a goal and  a 1-0 lead at the 8:33 mark. Erik Larsson (South Lake, Tahoe, Calif.) and Zach Dill (Lake Tahoe, Calif.) are credited with the assists.      

Three minutes and ten seconds later, Larsson passed the puck to Luke Pepin (Lee, N.H.), who was near the boards on the left side. Pepin shot the puck from 25 feet away from the net, and the puck was deflected to Dill, who managed to put one inside the net at the 11:43 mark of the period. 

Thanks to the efforts of O'Donoghue and Dill, Salem State had a comfortable two-goal lead heading into the second period.  

During the early minutes of the second period.  Salem State's Carson Whitman (Boston, Mass.)  had a chance to score on a breakaway, but was denied twice in a different sequence by UMass Dartmouth's goalkeeper, McKallip. However, UMass Dartmouth managed to cut the deficit in half when Brandon Clark (Rochester, N.Y.)  passed the puck to Alex Walker (Latrobe, Pa.), who then passed it to Paterson for a goal at the 4:34 mark of the period. 

Three minutes and twenty-one seconds later, UMass Dartmouth evened the score when Michael Perrone (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) passed the puck to Walker, who found Paterson, who managed to move the puck past a Viking skater and score his second goal at the 7:55 mark. 

Later in the period, the Vikings were granted their third power play of the game, and just like their first goal, they managed to break the tie by capitalizing on the power play. Skylar Miller (Chandler, Ariz.) passed the puck to Pepin on the left side of the ice, who sent a pass to Dill, who scored his second goal of the game, giving  Salem State a 3-2 lead at the 12:37 mark. Two minutes and six seconds later, the Vikings scored their fourth goal of the game when O'Donoghue scored off a rebound going top shelf, with Dill and Larsson earning the assists. 

UMass Dartmouth managed to cut the lead to one with Michael Mania's (Bayville, N.J.)  goal, which Tyler Steward (Pittsburgh, Pa.) assisted at the 17:31 mark of the period.  

After 40 minutes of play, the Vikings entered the locker room with a one-goal lead by a score of 4-3. Salem State had won 20 faceoffs compared to UMass-Dartmouth's 19. The Vikings took advantage of two of their three power plays, while the Corsairs were 0 for 1. Aaron Mercer (Corner Brook, Newfoundland) saved 36 of 39 shots, while McKallip saved 27 of 31 shots heading into the final period of regulation.  

During the third period, the Corsairs were ready to skate and just ten seconds into the third period UMass Dartmouth managed to score and tie the game. Perrone on the right side passed the puck to Walker, who was able to score unimpeded. A quick and smooth transition stunned Salem State ten seconds into the period.  

At the 9:38 mark, the Vikings'  Miller and Corsairs' Brandon Clark (Rochester, N.Y.) were sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, creating a four-on-four scenario. However, both teams failed to capitalize on the advantage as they went full strength. 

Later in the period, the Corsairs had a power play advantage and made the most of it as Walker beat Mercer at the 14:25 mark, giving UMass-Dartmouth a 5-4 lead. Meynard and Stewart were credited with the assists.  

Towards the end of the game, UMass-Dartmouth scored twice, including an empty netter by Patterson, who recorded a hat trick. The Corsairs' goalkeeper, McKalliap, saved 41 out of 45 shots, while Mercer, the Vikings' goalkeeper, saved 41 out of 47 shots. 

When it came to power plays, the Vikings took advantage of two out of four opportunities, while the Corsairs took advantage of one out of three attempts. Regarding faceoffs, Salem State won 34 faceoffs, while UMass-Dartmouth won 26.  

Salem State will be looking to bounce as they head to Worcester State this Saturday night, January 20 for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest. Game time is 7:20 p.m.