Vikings Drop Conference Opener

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

SALEM, Mass.- Salem State welcomed the Buccaneers from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup on Tuesday night at Alumni Field. Cassie Llewellyn (Fairfield, Conn.) scored seven times to lead Mass. Maritime to a 16-9 MASCAC victory over Salem State. The Buccaneers are now 4-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play while the Vikings dropped to 2-7 overall and 0-1 in early MASCAC action.

Llewellyn dished out three assists to go with her game-high seven goals while Sarah Naar (Milton, DE.) and Lindsy Durgin (Rochester, Mass.) chipped in with four and three goals, respectively. Defensively, Madison Selby (Baltimore, Md.) turned away 15 shots while Durgin caused six turnovers in the victory.

Aislinn Bennett (Milford, Mass.) was a bright spot for the Vikings, recording three goals, one assist, and seven draw controls. Kenzie Currey (Bel Air, Md.) and Jenna Wells (Revere, Mass.) added two goals apiece while Laura Young (Leominster, Mass.) dished out a team-high three assists to go with a goal of her own in the effort.

How It Happened

• Naar wasted no time getting on the board for the Buccaneers, scoring in just 44 seconds, but the lead would be short lived as Currey tied the game at one on a free position shot less than a minute later.
• With 7:19 to play in the opening stanza, and spearheaded by a Llewellyn hat trick, the Buccaneers scored four times in just over a minute of action before Young stopped the bleeding to make it a 5-2 game.
• The Vikings would find themselves down 9-3 with 1:28 to play in the half when the duo of Bennett and Young went on a 3-0, highlighted by Bennetts' final second snipe into the back of the net to make it a 9-6 game at the break.
• Seven minutes into the third quarter, the Vikings found themselves behind by a single goal after goals from Currey and Bennett made it a 9-8 game. However, the Buccaneers would use three unanswered goals to reclaim a four-goal cushion with 2:40 to play in the third.
• The final fifteen minutes was all Mass. Maritime, as they closed the game with four goals to Salem's zero, solidifying their 16-9 victory over the Vikings.

Noteworthy

• Bennett notched her second hat trick of the season after her three-goal performance tonight.
• Nora Bradley (Haddon Township, N.J.) saved a career-high 17 shots in tonight's effort.
• With two goals tonight, Wells has now recorded two or more goals in six games this season.

Salem State will look to bounce back when they travel to Framingham State on April 6 for a conference bout. Game time is scheduled for noon.