PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University erupted for five goals in the second period to erase a 4-1 deficit and topple Salem State University, 8-5, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Hanaway Rink on Thursday night.
The 13th-ranked Panthers got out to an uncharacteristically slow start, spotting Salem State a 4-1 lead just 1:19 into the second period. Freshman
Rider McCallum (Langley, British Columbia) helped Plymouth State rally, though, scoring twice as PSU exploded for five straight goals to jump in front, 6-4, heading into the second intermission. The teams traded goals to start the third, until freshman
Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) capped the scoring with an empty-netter with 1:39 left on the clock for his career-best fourth point of the night.
Prior to the game, head coach
Craig Russell was recognized after becoming the program's all-time winningest coach with his 209th career victory last Saturday, while Plymouth State alumnus and Boston Bruins anthem singer Todd Angilly performed his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner to the delight of the home crowd.
Plymouth State matches a program-best with its 11th-straight win to improve to 15-3-1, while maintaining its perfect 12-0-0 record in MASCAC play. The Vikings dip to 3-15-0 and 1-11-0 in league play.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 8, Salem State 5
- Plymouth State (15-3-1, 12-0-0 MASCAC)
- Salem State (3-15-0, 1-11-0 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Despite heavy early pressure by the Panthers, it was Salem State that opened the scoring at the 3:33 mark of the first period. The visitors streaked through the neutral zone on a 3-on-2 and crisp passing and a solid move around the goaltender resulted in a 1-0 lead for the Vikings.
- Plymouth State pulled even midway through the period when Redick stole the puck in the zone and fed senior Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) alone on the weakside for the easy goal.
- The Vikings went right back in front less than a minute later when a slapshot from the right circle found the top right corner with 9:40 left in the frame.
- Salem State made it a two-goal lead at the 14:02 mark when the Vikings got behind the PSU defense for another 3-on-2 and a quick pass to the slot resulted in an easy score to make it 3-1.
- The visitors continued to pressure, using a power play strike just 1:19 into the second to push the margin to 4-1.
- The Panthers answered 39 seconds later as sophomore Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) blasted a shot from the bottom of the left circle after a drop pass from classmate Carson Lanceleve (Stewiacke, Nova Scotia) to make it 4-2.
- McCallum trimmed the deficit to 4-3 with a wrist shot from just inside the blueline during a PSU power play at the 8:02 mark, and senior Niks Krollis (Riga, Latvia) tied the game exactly one minute later when his blast from the left circle beat the Vikings' goaltender high to the glove side.
- Plymouth State took its first lead of the night with 6:33 left in the period. Junior Brett Lockhart (Braintree, Mass.) energized the crowd with a big hit along the boards and Abbate snagged the loose puck and sent a quick pass to McCallum, whose one-timer gave the Panthers a 5-4 advantage.
- The Panthers' big period wasn't done yet, though, as junior Matt Tartaglio (Houston, Texas) received a pass in the low slot and whipped a shot to the bottom right corner to make it 6-4.
- Sophomore Cameron Patton (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia) stole the puck and fed freshman Payton Schaly (Orillia, Ontario), who stuffed it in on the weakside to extend the margin to 7-4 at the 3:11 mark of the third.
- Salem State converted another power play chance four minutes later to keep things interesting, until Redick capped his big game with the empty-net tally in the final minutes.
By the Numbers:
- Redick finished the night with a career-best four points behind his goal and three assists. He has eight points over the last four games.
- McCallum recorded his second two-goal game of the season and now has seven tallies on the year.
- Abbate picked up another two points with his goal and assist to inch closer to the 100-point threshold. He now has 98 career points on 46 goals and 52 assists.
- Patton (two assists) also had a multi-point game, his fourth in five games since joining the team.
- Salem State finished 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Panthers converted 1-of-2 chances.
- Plymouth State outshot the Vikings by a 53-28 margin.
- Senior Brendahn Brawley (Morton, Pa.) made 23 saves to improve to 14-2-1 on the year.
- PSU has won six straight against the Vikings and improves to 13-1-2 since falling to Salem State in the 2016-17 MASCAC title game, 4-3.
- Plymouth State's last 11-game win streak came at the end of the 2016-17 season, snapped by the championship game loss to the Vikings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Fitchburg State on Saturday (Jan. 28) for a 3:00 p.m. clash with the Falcons.
– 30 –
