Corsairs Defeat Salem State 5-2

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications 

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.-  Colline Patterson (Rockledge, Mass.) and Tyler Steward (Pittsburg, Pa.) each scored twice to give UMass-Dartmouth a 5-2 Massachusetts State Colligate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over Salem State on Saturday evening at Hetland Arena.  The Corsairs improve to 14-9-0, 12-7-0 while the Vikings drop to 6-16-1, 6-12-1.

UMass-Dartmouth first two goals came in quick succession, within just 19 seconds. Patterson struck first for UMass-Dartmouth at the 11:53 mark, with Michael Perrone (Mt. Sinae, NY)  and Alex Walker (Latrobe, PA.)  credited with the assists. During this time, at the exact 11:53 mark, Evan Cronkhite for the Vikings  was sent off for roughing. The Corsairs took full advantage of the situation and made the Vikings pay when Perrone scored with Paterson and Lane Ruffner credited with the assists at the 12:12 mark.

Just four minutes later, Perrone managed to beat Hunter Thomas  (Schwenksville, PA.) once again, netting his second goal of the game with Walker and Paterson credited with the assists.

Power play was a big issue during the first period, with both teams struggling to convert. Salem State went 0 for 2, while UMass-Dartmouth managed to convert just one of their three opportunities. The Vikings were down early, trailing 3-0 after the first twenty minutes of the game.

In the early stages of the second period, Walker committed a penalty, paving the way for the Vikings to capitalize on a power play. The Corsairs were unable to stop Luke Day (Ottsville, Pa.) from scoring, with Chase Conlon (Anchorage, Alaska) and Landyn Greatorex (Reading, Mass,) providing the assists.   

Thomas, the goalkeeper for Salem State, made 24 saves out of the 27 shots on goal. Marshal Mckallip (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the Corsairs' goalkeeper, also performed well, saving 22 out of 23 shots on goal. Both teams combined were 1 for 7 when it came to power plays, with the Vikings going 1 for 3, and the Corsairs going 1 for 4.

In the final twenty minutes of the game the, Vikings were eager to answer back after Conlon made it a one-goal game at the 5:13 mark. The score was 3-2 with Greatorex and Christopher Dowd  (Danville, N.H.) receiving credit for the assists. However, the Corsairs were quick to respond when Steward scored at the 8:08 mark with an assist from Michael Mania (Bayville, N.J.). Steward, who had already scored a goal, put the finishing touches on the game by scoring his second goal at the 18:56 mark, giving the Corsairs a three-goal advantage by a score of 5-2.

During the game, Thomas saved 37 out of 41 shots, while McKallip saved 29 out of 31 shots. In terms of power plays, both teams combined were 2 for 8, with Salem State going 1 for 3 on their power play while UMass-Dartmouth went 1 for 5. In terms of faceoffs, the Vikings won 33 while the Corsairs won 29.   

The Vikings will be looking to bounce back this Thursday, February 15th, as they finish their regular season on a two-game home stand. They will welcome Worcester State to the Rockett Arena for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game (MASCAC) game. Puck drops at 7 p.m.