SALEM – Salem State picked up their third straight win with a dominant 7-2 victory over the Worcester State Lancers in MASCAC action on Saturday afternoon at Rockett Arena. The win gives Salem State a 6-3 record and 4-2 MASCAC mark, while Worcester State slips to 2-8-1 and remains winless in the conference at 0-5-1.
Worcester State scored first when Mitchell Purdie (Cavan, ON) hit a slap shot from the face-off circle for his second goal of the year. However, Salem State retaliated with three straight scores to take a 3-1 lead after the first. John Needham (Medford, MA) tipped in the first goal at the 13:45 mark, and seconds later Alex Minter scored unassisted to give the Vikings a 2-1 lead. Then Needham assistedMichael Casale (Stoney Creek, ON) who blasted a shot to increase Salem State’s margin to two.
Needham and Casale connected again for a Vikings’ goal just fifty seconds into the second as Salem State poured it on, scoring four times for a 7-1 advantage. Worcester State goalie Max Kirkwood (Brunswick, OH) was replaced by Tyler Fallica (Coram, NY) and was greeted by Andrew Bucci(Peabody, MA), who went back-hand over the goalie’s blocker shoulder to make it a 5-1 game. Michael Chen (Rockville, MD) and Casale closed out the scoring with back-to-back goals, including Casale’s third for a hat-trick that made the score 7-1.
Nick Drill (Madison, WI) provided the only scoring in the third period with his fourth goal of the season late in the period to make the final 7-2. Salem State outshot the visitors 35-16, while neither team converted on the power play, going a combined 0-8.
Jason Pucciarrelli (Newmarket, ON) stopped 14 shots in net for the Vikings, while Max Kirkwood (Brunswick, OH) had 11 saves for the Lancers in the loss. Fallica recorded 17 saves in relief.
Salem State will play at Endicott College next Saturday at 3:00 PM. Worcester State will travel to Stonehill College on Wednesday for a 5:40 PM puck drop
