Lancers Fall Just Short of Comeback in MASCAC Quarterfinals

WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester State scored twice with their goalie pulled in the final minute, but came up one goal short as the Lancers fell to Salem State 4-3 in the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey tournament on Saturday afternoon at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center.

The Lancers, seeded third in the MASCAC tournament, see their season end with a record of 11-13-2, while #6 Salem State (11-12) will advance to the semifinals, with their opponent still to be determined as other scores come in today.

Max Moriarty (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Mike Wilson (Alexandria, Va.) scored thirty-six seconds apart to pull the Lancers back to within a goal, but with only ten seconds remaining after Wilson's sixth goal of the season, they ran out of time to find an equalizer.

Martin Dlugolinksy (Stara Lubovna, Slovakia) gave Worcester State a lead just 1:12 into the first period with his fifth goal of the year, but Salem State tied the game midway through the frame and then took the lead with just over a minute remaining to take a 2-1 lead to the break.

Connor Woolley (Poghquag, N.Y.) had a goal and an assist in the first period. He evened the game when he followed up his own shot and plucked the puck off the far post and into the back of the net at 11:21 of the first.

Woolley also earned a helper on a power play goal by Erik Larsson (Lake Tahoe, Calif.), who shoveled home from in front of the net to beat Worcester State freshman goalie Jakub Kubik (Uherske Hradiste, Czech Republic).

The Vikings extended their lead further, first when Luke Day (Ottsville, Pa.) scored the only goal of the second period, and again when Keagan O'Donoghue (Frisco, Texas) found the empty net with two minutes and ten seconds remaining.

Down 4-1, the Lancers pulled Kubik again and Nick Pennucci (Worcester, Mass.) set up Moriarty for his second goal of the season. With the net still empty, Wilson pulled another one back, set up by Will Ahearn (Charlestown, Mass.) and Jason Lee (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), who earned his second assist of the night.

Kubik made 30 saves in the Lancer net, while Aaron Mercer (Corner Brook, NL) had 35 stops to earn the victory.

This was the third meeting between the two schools in MASCAC men's ice hockey postseason play. Salem State has now won all three of those meetings, including in first rounds in 2013 and 2018.