Hockey Rallies to Force Overtime, Fall in Shootout at Salem

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Jesper Seeberg (Lake Worth, Fla.) scored the game-tying goal as part of a three-goal third period for Westfield State which rallied to force overtime before eventually falling in a shootout at Salem State in a MASCAC game on Saturday night.

The Owls are now 4-1-1 in conference play and are 11-5-1 on the season. The Vikings, which won the shootout 2-1, are now 2-3-2 in the MASCAC and 4-10-3 overall.

Trailing 2-0 entering the third period, the Owls quickly cut the deficit in half by scoring 1:10 out of the intermission. Off a defensive zone face-off win, Liam Krupcyznski (San Marcos, Calif.) won a puck battle at the defensive blue line, possessing the puck into the offensive end where he dished a pass to Brett Williams (Easton, Mass.) who ripped home the goal as the net became dislodged from the crease.

Carson James retaliated for Salem 46 seconds after the Williams goal, recapturing a two-goal margin with 18:04 left in regulation.

Westfield was granted a power play chance with nine minutes left in the period and did not score, but maintained attacking zone time as the man advantage expired, leading to a goal by Julian Boisclair (Voorhees, N.J.) who one-timed home a shot in the slot on a backhand feed from Williams with under eight remaining in regulation.

The Owls found the equalizer with 5:24 left in the period, starting from the defensive end where Westfield swiftly went from defense to offense with Boisclair steering a pass up ice to Seeberg who took the space in front of him and rocketed home a shot that rang off the bar inside the net.

Cannon Bonifay (Fort Worth, Texas) started the shootout with a goal, toe dragging then wristing a high shot over the sprawling Will Nepveu. Landyn Greatorex prolonged the shootout with a goal in round three, the Vikings first marker in the shootout, extending the shootout into a fourth round where neither team was able to convert.

In the fifth round, Westfield missed on their attempt, setting up Eric Whitelaw for the game-winner, sneaking a low shot into the cage to end the game.

Westfield was able to salvage points out of the contest with a strong third period and got 23 saves out of Aiden Winslow (Jacksonville, Fla.). The Owls outshot the Vikings 38-26 as Nepveu stopped 35 shots on net. Both teams had five power play opportunities with Westfield failing to score on all five while Salem produced a first period power play marker off the stick of Zach Dill.

Westfield State will return to the ice on Thursday for a key conference matchup against the league's defending champion in Fitchburg State at 7:35 P.M. from Amelia Park Arena in Westfield, Mass.