By Sports Editor Tom Griffin
Having previously thrived through their season opener, the waning Corsairs exchanged in-conference wins and losses with Salem State and Plymouth State, settling in between both teams in MASCAC standings.
Having stumbled to 1-3, the Corsairs sought to rebound off of the struggling, winless Salem State Vikings. Rebound they did, suffocating the Vikings to the tune of seven unanswered goals and a shutout victory.
UMassD’s outing against Salem State was less of a competitive sporting event and more of an opportunity for the Corsairs to freely flex their offensive capabilities. Going 2 for 4 on power play efficiency, and even stealing a shorthanded goal during one of their 10 minutes of five-on-four, everything that the Corsairs tried found its way to the back of the net.
Five individual Corsairs had success within Salem State’s crease. In a list headlined by Dillon Radin and Josh Vertentes, whose two goals apiece robbed each other of the honor of a hat trick, Steven Leonard, Cameron Mack and Michael Perrone reduced a once-formidable Viking netminder to little more than a turnstile.
The Corsairs’ second matchup, however, would prove to be more of an endurance test than their Salem State routing.
Where the Vikings had opened their season to a winless 0-4, the Plymouth State Panthers stood above the Corsairs at a respectable 3-2. Boasting a stout defense and a stalwart goaltender, the Corsairs figured that the best way to crack an impenetrable defense was to outlast it with their own.
UMassD sophomore goalie Chris Stangarone came up with 29 saves through regulation, forcing a scoreless first and third period for his Panther adversaries. Michael Perrone stole a 1-0 lead for the Corsairs off of a go-ahead power play goal early in the first, and on Stangarone’s efforts, that lead would hold until halfway through the second.
It was in the second period that Corsair momentum would dip, as a Plymouth State power play goal would tie the game up, eventually giving way for a second panther Goal only eight minutes later.
This second period Plymouth State surge would produce a 2-1 Panther lead that would hold through the end of the game. Despite Stangarone having locked down the net, the Corsairs’ 55 total minutes spent shorthanded resulted in low output on the offensive front.
Having defined themselves within MASCAC, UMassD has two upcoming opportunities, both before and after break, to prove themselves outside of it. Facing off against Saint Anslem before break, the Corsairs are set to travel to Wentworth the weekend after.