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Salem State skaters getting sharper
Published: January 28, 2008
SALEM - Salem State athletic trainer Bill Bulloch has been around the college for three decades and is well qualified to grade a quality hockey performance. He thought the 4-1 Vikings victory over the 14th-ranked team in Division 3 college hockey, Babson, on Saturday night was something like a trip down memory lane, back to the program's glory days of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"This was like some from the old days," Bulloch said.
The Vikings dominated Babson in a game that featured a batch of heroes who contributed to the team's fifth straight victory. It marked SSC's first five-game winning streak since it happened twice during the 1999-2000 campaign.
There's been an obvious hockey resurgence this winter at the college. This isn't to suggest that the Vikings (11-6-0 after a sluggish 3-4 start) are ready to claim a national ranking; they haven't been "national" since 1995. But it's obvious they've recaptured some of their vim and vigor from the past.
On Saturday, Salem State dressed only one senior, forward Ryan Hayes of Danvers, and never blinked an eye about the experience factor.
"The better team won. It was that simple," said Babson coach Jamie Rice. "They outcoached us and outcompeted us. They've had a great program for a long time, a coach (Bill O'Neill) with 400 wins and a very good goaltender (Ryan Hatch, who made 29 saves). Top to bottom, that's a very good club."
Hatch did make a number of quality saves to record his 19th career victory, calling it his best win in two years here.
He had plenty of star company, however.
Sophomore Kevin Huinink, a freshman defenseman from Whitby, Ontario, rushed the puck up ice like nobody has seen since Chris Vlachos in the early 1990s and had a fabulous game as a penalty killer as SSC was 7 for 7. Sophomores Damen Nisula and Chris MacInnis also played well in man-down situations.
Jeff Tellier, a sophomore who knows about adversity, scored the first two of his team's four unanswered goals. One of those came on the power play for Tellier, who has been a force since moving up to the first line eight games ago.
He had an MCL tear in the season opener vs. St. Michael's and was sidelined until Game 9. Tellier also suffered a torn labrum and had surgery prior to his freshman year, and played with an aching shoulder all season.
"This was like some from the old days," Bulloch said.
The Vikings dominated Babson in a game that featured a batch of heroes who contributed to the team's fifth straight victory. It marked SSC's first five-game winning streak since it happened twice during the 1999-2000 campaign.
There's been an obvious hockey resurgence this winter at the college. This isn't to suggest that the Vikings (11-6-0 after a sluggish 3-4 start) are ready to claim a national ranking; they haven't been "national" since 1995. But it's obvious they've recaptured some of their vim and vigor from the past.
On Saturday, Salem State dressed only one senior, forward Ryan Hayes of Danvers, and never blinked an eye about the experience factor.
"The better team won. It was that simple," said Babson coach Jamie Rice. "They outcoached us and outcompeted us. They've had a great program for a long time, a coach (Bill O'Neill) with 400 wins and a very good goaltender (Ryan Hatch, who made 29 saves). Top to bottom, that's a very good club."
Hatch did make a number of quality saves to record his 19th career victory, calling it his best win in two years here.
He had plenty of star company, however.
Sophomore Kevin Huinink, a freshman defenseman from Whitby, Ontario, rushed the puck up ice like nobody has seen since Chris Vlachos in the early 1990s and had a fabulous game as a penalty killer as SSC was 7 for 7. Sophomores Damen Nisula and Chris MacInnis also played well in man-down situations.
Jeff Tellier, a sophomore who knows about adversity, scored the first two of his team's four unanswered goals. One of those came on the power play for Tellier, who has been a force since moving up to the first line eight games ago.
He had an MCL tear in the season opener vs. St. Michael's and was sidelined until Game 9. Tellier also suffered a torn labrum and had surgery prior to his freshman year, and played with an aching shoulder all season.
"It was a huge win," said Tellier, a Dean's List student with a 3.3 GPA. "We've stopped playing for the name on our backs and started playing for the (Viking) crest in front of our jerseys. Everybody believes in the system."
Salem State kept a forward back all the time and didn't give up any odd-man rushes. They've also been very physical of late.
"Our system? That stays in the (locker) room," said talented freshman forward Justin Fox, a Canadian neighbor of Huinink. He boosted his team-leading totals to 11 goals, 15 assists and 26 points after a 3-assist game. "Let's just say it's unselfish play, looking for the open man and chopping the puck in deep."
The other goal scorers were MacInnis, a sophomore forward who collected his team-high 13th tally and added an assist, and freshman forward Mike Genovese, who notched his eighth during a 5-minute power play.
"This was a good statement game," Huinink said. "We're for real."
Most everyone agreed it was Salem State's best game thus far and that Hatch stood tall once again.
"The five wins in a row have come from within," Hatch said. "We played great team defense and the forwards are putting the puck away when we need it.
"I didn't think I had a lot of tough saves. The defensemen were keeping everything outside. If there's a rebound, the defense or forwards have been protecting the house."
O'Neill said it was either of his team's two weekend games - this one or the Vikings' 4-1 triumph over UMass Boston Friday night - that was their best victory of the season.
"Every guy who got on the ice contributed," O'Neill said. "Hatch had a superb game, and special teams had a big part. You can't win a game if your special teams aren't doing the job."
Slovakian native Alex Molnar, a freshman forward who speaks four languages, said it loud and clear when the win streak came up.
"Billy loves it," said a beaming Molnar.
