Men’s Hockey Open MASCAC Playoffs with 3-2 Win Over Salem

SALEM, Mass. – The MCLA Men's Ice Hockey team returned to the MASCAC playoffs, looking to improve upon their conference finalist appearance of last season. The first step in that trip was a matchup with the Salem State University Vikings at the Rockett Arena this evening. Sam Zis made the Vikings pay for a moment of careless puck control in their defensive end, to send the Trailblazers into the semifinal with a 3-2 win.

THE BASICS

• Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
• Score: #5 MCLA 3, #4 Salem 2
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 8-15-3 (MASCAC 5-8-1) | Salem State University Vikings 8-14-4 (MASCAC 6-5-3)

HIGHLIGHTS

• The teams played to a scoreless first period with Salem holding the smallest of advantage in shots with ten to the Trailblazers' nine.
• The scoring drought would only last until just past the midpoint of the second period when the Vikings broke through for the game's first score. The goal was credited to Ryan Barrett (11:02 of 2^nd period, assisted by Sweet), with the helper going to Nick Sweet.
• MCLA would even the score just before the end of the second period when junior forward Easton Moore (Red Deer, AB / Florida Eels) (19:29.3, Ogborn & Perdion) redirected a slap shot from the point by junior defenseman Colin Ogborn (Linwood, NJ / Philadelphia H.C.) after freshman forward Sam Perdion (Strongsville, OH / Charlotte Rush) had sent the puck out of the corner. The goal was the sixth of the season for Moore, while the helpers were numbers four and six for Ogborn and Perdion.
• Salem would retake the lead very early in the third period, scoring less than two minutes in the new frame. This goal was unassisted and credited to Carson Whitman (1:54 of 3^rd period, unassisted).
• The Trailblazers leveled the score a second time after a pair of cross-ice passes set up the scoring opportunity. Junior forward Christopher Gallagher (Albany, NY / Islanders H.C.) brought the puck into the Salem defensive end along the left wall and then sent the puck across the ice to junior forward Quinn Murphy (Champaign, IL / Philadelphia H.C.) near the right faceoff circle. Murphy then gave a quick touch pass back across the front of the goal to the stick of junior forward Cade Herrera (Brentwood, CA / Seahawks H.C) (14:55, Gallagher & Murphy). The goal extended Herrera's team-leading goal total to 12, and the assists were the 8^th for Gallagher and the 11^th for Murphy.
• The first lead of the night for MCLA came about three minutes later when sophomore forward Sam Zis (Boulder, CO / Connecticut Chiefs) (17:37, unassisted) took advantage of a poor bounce on the ice that forced a Viking turnover near the left faceoff circle, and the sophomore spun a shot into the upper left corner of the net.
• The Trailblazers' freshman goalie Roco Stolz (Bloomfield Hills, MI / Charlotte Rush) stopped 28 of 30 shots to secure the win, advancing his record to 8-12-2. Will Nepveu took the loss for Salem, recording 23 saves on 26 shots and falling to 7-11-4.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: MCLA 26, Salem 30
• Saves: MCLA 28, Salem 23
• Faceoffs Won: MCLA 34, Salem 40
• Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 2/7:00, Salem 1/2:00
• Power Plays: MCLA 0 for 1, Salem 0 for 2

UP NEXT

On Saturday, MCLA will continue their playoff run when they travel to the Horgan Arena and Anna Maria College for a semifinal matchup with the AMCATs. The puck will drop at 6:40 p.m.

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