Huskies Handle Vikings, 16-6

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

SALEM, Mass.- Salem State welcomed the University of Southern Maine this afternoon for Little East Conference (LEC) bout. Nick James (Portland, Maine) recorded a hat trick with one assist to give Huskies a 16-6 victory over Salem State. The Huskies boosted their record to 5-7, 1-2 while the Vikings dropped 4-8, 0-5.  

James emerged as the star player with three goals and an assist, leading the Huskies to a victory. Meanwhile, Cayden Poisson-Brandon (Lewiston, Maine) played a crucial role in securing the win for the Huskies by contributing eight ground balls.  

The Vikings put up a good fight with six different players scoring a goal in the effort.

How It Happened

• The Vikings struck first when Cameron Smith (Beverly, Mass), positioned on the left side, made a swift and decisive move to get past his defender and notch the game's first tally.
•  Southern Maine managed to turn the tables by scoring twice within a mere 45 seconds, taking the 2-1 edge before adding another pair of goals to make it a 4-1 game.
• With 2:06 to play in the opening stanza, Matthew Lindstorm (Peabody, Mass.) cut the Huskies lead in half. However, the Huskies managed to score one more goal in the final 15 seconds of the period to send the game to the second frame ahead, 5-2.
• The Huskies was able to build on their lead in the second quarter before
• Connor Vittands (Gloucester, Mass.) stopped the bleeding at the 3:29 mark to make it a 7-3 game. The Huskies would use a last second goal to take the 8-3 advantage and send the game into the break.
• In the second half, Southern Maine's Wetmore showcased his impeccable skills by scoring the next two goals for the Huskies. Then, the Huskies added four more before the period ended to put the Vikings in a 10- goal deficit (13-3).   
• The Vikings struck first in the final quarter after Peyton Cabral (Lancaster, Mass.)  scored 43 seconds into the period to bring his squad's deficit back to single digits. This sparked the Vikings to a two-goal rally in a span of 15 seconds, with Vittands setting up both goals to make it a 13-6 game with just over nine minutes to play. However, the Huskies would hold the Vikings there while adding three more of their own to take the 16-6 LEC victory.   

Noteworthy 

• James and Wetmore combined for six assists each recorded three assists apiece for the Huskies.
• For the Vikings, Vittands had two assists and Ryan Cohen (Bedford, Mass.) saved 19 shots in the effort.  

Salem State will travel to New Hampshire to face Keene State for a LEC contest this Saturday, April 13. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.