Vikings Comeback For 12-9 Victory

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

WATERVILLE, Maine-  Timothy Eddings (Endicott, NY) scored five times and had two assists to give Salem State a 12-9 victory over Thomas College on Wednesday afternoon at Smith Field. The Vikings improve to 4-2 while the Terriers drop to 0-3.

Eddings was the top scorer for the Vikings with a total of five goals, while Cameron Collins (Peabody, Mass.) helped with four  assists. Richard Longo (Wakefield, Mass.).  Ryan Cohen (Bedford, Mass.) made eight saves.

Timothy Worster (Mount Vernon, Maine) for Thomas, racked up a total of five goals. Kyle Van Doren-Crooker (Augusta, Maine) added four assists. Shane McNalley (Narragansett, R.I.) made seven saves at the half before being replaced by Daniel Guarino (Wakefield, Mass.) who stopped 10 shots.

It was Terriers' Worcester who struck first, shooting 15 feet from the net and finding the left side of the net open to make it 1-0 at the 8:16 mark. Just a minute and three seconds later, Thomas added another goal when Connor Hamilton (Pelham, N.H.)  took a shot from the right side, and the ball bounced in, making it 2-0.

Salem State responded promptly when Cameron Smith (Beverly, Mass.) assisted Vittands for the first Vikings' goal at the 4:49 mark. The Vikings were quick to level the score, managing to tie the game at two at the 5:05 mark when Collins assisted Eddings.

Late into the period, the Terriers scored again. Worcester assisted  Daren-Crooker with just 13 seconds left on the clock, and the Terriers had a 3-2 lead heading into the second period.

At the 11:25 mark of the game, the Viking's strategy was executed flawlessly, resulting in a goal that evened up the score at three. Collins provided the assist to Eddings, who took a shot from about 15 feet out.

During the second period, both teams were evenly matched in terms of gameplay. However, Salem State managed to capitalize on a turnover by Terrier goalie McNalley  at the 7:44 mark, which allowed Cabral  to score and give the Vikings a 4-3 lead.

The Vikings continued to increase their lead when they went a man up, as Vittands scored a goal at the 5:07 mark, making it 5-3. Worcester managed to make it a one-goal game at the 3:15 mark, when he scored his second goal of the game.

Towards the end of the period, Thomas made an attempt to score another goal for Worcester, but despite his best efforts, the ball did not end up in the net. As a result, the game remained 5-4 in favor of Salem State entering halftime.

In the early stages of the second, Salem State took full advantage of a two-man advantage and Vittands scored his second goal of the game with Matthew Lindstorm  (Peabody, Mass.) creating the assist to give Salem State a two-goal cushion.

Thomas managed to tie the game by scoring twice in just 20 seconds, leaving the game tied at six. At the 8:33 mark, Hunter Simpson (Etna, Maine) shot the ball from about 15 feet from the net to give the Terriers a 7-6 lead. Worcester netted his fourth goal of the game at the 6:34 mark as Thomas took a two-goal cushion.

Salem State tried to get back into the game, and Collins assisted Eddings at the 5:00 minute mark. Eddings took a shot from about 18 feet and scored between Guarino's legs. Eddings ran towards the net and found Lindstorm, who passed the ball to him and tied the game at eight at the 2:03 mark.

Worcester scored his fifth goal of the game and Salem State was down by one heading into the final period of regulation by a score of 9-8. During the final period of the game, Eddings scored top shelf at the 1:02 mark to tie the game. At the 11:57 mark, Smith gave the Vikings the lead as he went around the goalie and shot it into the net.

Eddings gave Salem State a two-goal cushion and five minutes later, Eddings passed the ball about 12 feet from Lindstorm, and Lindstorm scored from the left side of the net to make it 12-9 at the 3:39 mark. 

The Vikings will return to Alumni Field this Saturday, March 23, when they take on UMASS-Boston for Little East Conference (LEC) match up. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.