SALEM — Salem State and Plymouth State will meet for the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Ice Hockey Championship at 2:00 PM on Saturday at Rockett Arena.
This is the third straight year that the Panthers and Vikings will face-off in the title game and fourth time in the last five seasons the two teams will meet with the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. They have split their last two championship game meetings with Plymouth State winning 6-2 last season, and Salem State earning the championship in 2014 with a 5-1 victory. Plymouth State also defeated the Vikings 5-4 in double overtime in 2012.
Salem State (21-5), the top seed in the MASCAC Tournament, has won twelve in a row, since a 3-1 loss to New England College on January 12. The Vikings, who are currentlly ranked No. 15 by D3hockey.com, are 9-3 at home this season and have a fifteen-game winning streak against MASCAC opponents. Their 16-2 conference record is their best since the MASCAC reformed in 2009, which allowed Salem State to claim its first outright regular season title. Salem State won the regular season series against the Panthers, 2-1, including a 3-1 victory on February 11. The Vikings’ 21 wins are the most since the 1993-94 team went 23-5. Salem State is seeking its third MASCAC post-season championship.
Salem State captain Cam Moniz (Seekonk, MA) netted the game-winning goal in overtime to help the Vikings edge the Westfield State Owls 5-4 in the semifinal round of the MASCAC playoffs on Tuesday. Salem State jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but needed the extra period to eliminate the Owls.
The Vikings are led this season by junior goalie Marcus Zelzer (Green Bay, Wis.), who was named the 2015-16 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Ice Hockey Player of the Year. Zelzer is 17-1 this season and is riding a personal 16-game winning streak in net. Zelzer finished the regular season first in the MASCAC in both goals against average (1.76) and save percentage (.932). He also tallied a 16-1 record which was the best winning percentage in the conference at .941 and recorded four shutouts on the year. Zelzer also tied the mark for most wins in the nation in Division III and is tied for second for most wins in a season at Salem State. Joining Zelzer on the ALL-MASCAC team was senior forward, Cam Moniz (Seekonk, Mass.) and senior defenseman Gabriel Cromp (Montreal, Quebec) both first-team selections. Junior Brandon Platt (Pittsburgh, Penn.) and junior Brad Jones (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) were named to the All-MASCAC second team. Moniz was second in the league in scoring and led the Vikings with 27 points (17g, 10a). Cromp is making his second straight appearance on the All-MASCAC first team. The senior was seventh in the league in scoring among defenseman notching 13 points (3g, 10a) and helped Salem State achieve the league’s top ranked defense, which allowed just 1.96 goals per game.
Plymouth State (21-4-1) is appearing in its fifth straight MASCAC title game. The Panthers, the second seed, finished the regular season (15-2-1) and are 9-2-1 on the road this season. Plymouth State, which is 9-1 over their past 10 games, defeated Fitchburg State 6-2 in the semifinal round on Tuesday as senior forward Senior Andrew Wigg (Lantz, N.S.) led the charge with a goal and two assists. The Panthers are looking to claim their third MASCAC Tournament championship.
Plymouth State placed four members on the All-MASCAC team. Wigg was named to the All-MASCAC First Team for the second straight season while senior goalie Gordon Ceasar (Oak Park, Calif.) earned a spot on the team for the third straight year, earning second team honors along with junior forward Michael Economos (Crystal Lake, Ill.). Freshman Matt Volonnino (Hacketstown, N.J.) was named MASCAC Rookie of the Year. Wigg ranks fourth in the league in scoring this season with 26 points on nine goals and 17 assists while Ceasar tied Salem State netminder Marcus Zelzer for most wins in the conference with a 17-3 record and a 2.00 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
