BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore forward Kyle Phelan's (Barnstable, Mass.) two third period goals snapped a 2-all tie as the Salem State hockey team holed on for a 4-3 win over Wentworth in the season opener for each team.
The Vikings wasted little time getting on the board as senior defenseman Nick Del Rosso (San Mateo, Calif.) fed junior Casey Terreri (Warwick, R.I.) in the neutral zone. Terreri went in on a 2-on-1 with senior forward Giancarlo Capodanno (Mountainside, N.J.), with Capodanno giving the visitors the early lead.
Junior defenseman Dylan Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) and freshman Mike Domsodi (Kirkland, Que.) set up senior forward Casey Shade inside the right face-off circle to even the game at 1-all at the 8:16 mark. Less than three minutes later Salem State pulled ahead, 2-1, when freshman Andrew Cetola (Fishkill, N.Y.) fed a pass from behind the net to classmate John Marsters (Weymouth, Mass.).
Wentworth netted the only marker of the second period as Domsodi and sophomore Cameron Gibson (Valencia, Calif.) assisted on Shade's second of the game, which came at 15:14 of the stanza. The Leopards were outshot in the middle period by a 15-7 margin, including allowing eight Viking shots on the power play – but junior Mike Jarboe (Grosse Point Park, Mich.) kept the visitors off the board.
At 6:36 of the third period Phelan put the Vikings ahead for good, assisted by sophomore Mark Macdonald (Norwell, Mass.), and, with 2:20 left in the contest, made it a 4-2 game on a goal assisted by Capodanno and junior forward Nick Lampson (Groton, Mass.).
The Leopards pulled Jarboe for an extra attacker with 1:44 left and pulled within a goal 19 seconds later when Shade finished completed the hat trick with Domsodi – who recorded three assists in his first collegiate game – and junior forward Anthony Principato (Holmdel, N.J.) assisting.
Jarboe would be pulled again at 18:55 in an attempt to get the equalizer and had the puck in the Viking zone. A shot attempt was blocked out of the zone, but Salem's attempt to ice the game with an empty-net goal hit the post. The hosts had one last chance, but could not get a shot off before time expired.
Sophomore Ryan Sutliffe (Grand Forks, N.D.) made 26 saves for the Vikings, while Jarboe turned aside 30 shots for the Leopards. Salem State held a 34-29 shot advantage. Neither team could convert on the power play, with the Leopards going 0-for-6 and the Vikings going 0-for-4.
The Vikings are idle until Nov. 17 when they host Fitchburg State in their MASCAC opener. Wentworth is at the IC Federal Credit Union Shootout (at Fitchburg State) this weekend, facing off against Franklin Pierce Friday at 5:00.
