SALEM — Jacob Scordato (Milford, MA) and Alex Pearsons (Burlington, MA) netted three goals apiece as the Vikings of Salem State defeated the Fighting Scots of Gordon College 10-7 Wednesday at Alumni Field in the season opener for Salem State. The Vikings start off their season on a positive note as they move to 1-0  while Gordon College drops to 0-3.
The Vikings beat the Fighting Scots to the scoreboard in the first quarter as Jacob Scordato (Milford, MA) put a shot past Gordon goalie Cody Greenwald (Albany, NY) into the upper corner. The Fighting Scots answered with a goal of their own as Jake Martin (Watertown, CT) beat Kevin Lally (Beverly, MA) low on his right side side to knot the game at 1-1. Salem State dominated on the time of attack as they controlled the ball for the majority of the first half. The Vikings out shot Gordon 17-9 in the half, 11 of which were shots on goal. However, the face-off matchup between the two sides was even as they split the eight face-offs down the middle with four apiece. Salem State immediately answered the Martin goal off the next face-off as Craig Denehy (Salem, MA) went the length of the zone to regain a 2-1 lead for the Vikings. Scordato added to the Vikings’ lead when he scored his second goal of the game when he scooped up a Thomas Lyons (Burlington, MA) shot in front of the crease for the easy goal. The Vikings struck again in the second period when they took a 4-1 advantage when Denehy found Alex Pearsons (Burlington, MA) for a hard shot from the left of the point. After Nico Manganiello (Peabody, MA) was called for an elbow penalty it caused the Fighting Scots to go down a man but wouldn’t matter as Roger Evans (Oxford, PA) buried a shot on Lally’s stick side. However, just before the half, Salem State took a 4-2 lead heading into the second half.Â
Pearsons enhanced the Vikings’ lead to 5-2 ten seconds into the half with a strong move just outside the Fighting Scots crease. Gordon retaliated with four unanswered goals to bring the score to 6-5. During that stretch, Evans and Martin both scored two goals apiece. Salem answered to bring the score even at 6-6 after Bobby Bourgeois (Billerica, MA) found the top right corner on Greenwald with a low-to-high shot. Moments later, Lyons gave the Vikings a 7-6 advantage after weaving through Gordon’s defense that ended in a low goal. In the fourth quarter, Salem State jumped out to a 9-6 lead after Scordato and Denehy added their third and second goals of the game. Martin netted his third goal to cut the deficit to 9-7, but that was quickly erased as Pearsons tallied his third goal of the game moments after.
Lally ended the day with seven saves as he moves to 1-0. Greenwald stopped nine shots in the loss.
Denehy added two goals for the Vikings while Gordon’s Martin(4g) and Evans (3g) combined for all seven goals. Salem State’s Steve Hanley (Waltham, MA) went 10-19 on the face-off while the Fighting Scots Peter Kovacevic (Pittsburgh, PA) went 9-17.
Salem State resumes action on March 5th when they travel to Saint Joseph’s College of Maine to take on the Monks at 4:00 p.m. The Fighting Scots will host Clark University at 1:00 p.m. on March 5th.
