Scott Sends Men’s Hockey Past Salem State, 3-2

SALEM, Mass. – A two-point night by Cole Scott including the game-winner with 2:16 remaining in regulation pushed Suffolk men's hockey over Salem State, 3-2, Tuesday night at Rockett Arena. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Salem State 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-7-2) | Salem State (3-11-0)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk started the scoring 1:33 into the action. Phil Decresce received the puck at the point from Thomas Dempsey off the face-off win by Ryan Webb. After winning the draw in the right dot in the Vikigns zone, Webb relocated in front of the cage in time to tip Decresce's slap shot from the point to Scott, who scored the deflection to give the Rams a one-goal edge early.  

Salem State leveled the playing field at the 16:25 mark of the opening period when David Cicak converted a pass from Ethan Demumburm into the game-tying goal. Rafael Praysner helped set-up the scoring play that made it a 1-all game.  

The Rams grabbed the upper hand once again thanks to its fourth power play of the night. Griffin Clark chipped the puck over Aaron Mercer's glove side shoulder to push Suffolk ahead at the midway point of the third period. Devin Lowe found Clark in front, while Dempsey aided in the special team's goal as well.  

The lead was short lived as Peyton Hughes knotted the score at the 3:37 later when Peyton Hughes potted the puck. 

With regulation winding down, the blue-and-gold skated down the ice towards SSU's net. The Rams had two chances on target, both of which were denied by Mercer. The third, Scott's snipe from zoomed past Salem State's netminder to push Suffolk in front, 3-2. Like his first goal, Webb and Decresce assisted on Scott's second of the night.  

Cal Wilcox turned aside the only shot Salem state managed to get off the rest of the way to preserve the win for the Rams. 

NETMINDER NOTES

• Wilcox put together a 23-save effort. 
• Mercer had 29 stops in the setback.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Six different Suffolk skaters recorded at least one point in the win. 
• Three different Rams notched a pair of points. 
• Scott scored two goals. 
• Decresce and Webb both notched two assists. 
• Clark found the back of the net once. 
• Dempsey and Lowe each logged one assist. 
• Suffolk outshot Salem State, 32-25. 
• The Vikings won the face-off battle, 44-42. 
• The Rams went 1-for-4 on the power play. 
• Suffolk successfully skate off its lone penalty.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk coupled wins together for the first time in the Shawn McEachern era. 
• Suffolk and Salem State met for the first time since Dec. 10, 2019. 
• Suffolk played at Salem for the second-time in the all-time series, first since Dec. 8, 2016. 
• The Rams won their third straight game against the Vikings to move to 3-2-2 in the all-time series. 
• Suffolk defeated SSU in Salem for the first time in the all-time series. 
• The Rams moved to 1-0-1 versus the Vikings at Rockett Arena. 
• Dempsey matched a career-high in points (1) and assists (1). 
• Clark extended his point streak to three games (2g, 2a).
• Scott produced a personal-best in goals (2) and points (2). 
• Decresce, who is on a two-game point streak (1g, 2a), registered a career-high in assists (2) and points (2).
• Lowe pushed his point streak to two games (1g, 1a). 
• Webb, who has notched points in back-to-back games, matched a personal-high in points (2) with a career-best two helpers.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk returns to its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) calendar this weekend with a home-and-home series with Wentworth. The Rams will first host the Leopards at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink Friday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. with a rematch scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. at Allied Veterans Arena in Everett, Massachusetts.