With tonight’s quarterfinal home playoff game against Massachusetts-Dartmouth just hours away, the Salem State Vikings will be hosting a home conference tournament game for the first time since 2017 – ironically the last year they won the MASCAC title. The Vikings have found a winning formula that has led to an 18-6-0 record and a seven-game win streak that dates back to February 1 – a streak the team would like to extend into March and starting with a win this evening at “The Rockett.”.
“It has been really nice to see the re-birth of the program after missing out on the playoffs last season,” stated second-year head coach Chris MacInnis. “We have been getting contributions from everyone in the lineup and have had everyone buy into the system we need and want to play to be successful. We are still a fairly young team, so our leadership has been very important to make sure everyone is invested and doing what it takes for the team to get results.”
Captain Luke Day started wearing the “C” midway through last year’s season and his ability to carry the weight of the team and mentor the younger players has been on display this season with both on-ice and off-ice activities. In the last game of the regular season it was Day’s late third period goal that spurred a 6-4 comeback win over Worcester State with three goals coming in the final three minutes of regulation time.
“Luke has certainly carried the team at times,” noted MacInnis. “ He is especially good at doing things the “right way” and showing the younger players the foundations of being a successful college hockey player. Another leader has been Keagan O’Donoghue who returned as a graduate student this year and had some question marks on buying into the system and approach from the coaching perspective. He has checked all those boxes, been a great leader for us, is a big part of our first line with Landyn {Greatorex] and James [Tatro] and recently picked up his 100th career point. I was so happy for him to achieve that important milestone especially since I was the last player to that here at Salem State. I hope we will see many more 100-point players come through the program.”
One player on that trajectory is first-year James Tatro. So far this season Tatro is playing on the top line and already has thirty points on the season (14G – 16A – 30 Pts; +18) He has been dynamic on special teams scoring five power play goals and two shorthanded markers while scoring four game-winning goals for the Vikings so far this season.
“I knew when he visited that james was a good fit here at Salem State,” said MacInnis. “He was going to go play club hockey at Niagara but after thinking about things over the summer decided to come here and the fit has been obvious from the start of the season. He is a local kid who played high school hockey at Triton, so his family is nearby and very supportive of his playing here. I think James might fall into the “late bloomer” category, but he has certainly come into his own in this his first year at the collegiate level.”
Macinnis himself is a graduate of Salem State having recorded 102 points (44G – 58A – 102 Pts) between 2006-2009. MacInnis played for the legendary Bill O’Neill and then was an assistant coach with O’Neill before taking the job last season upon his mentor’s retirement. He learned a lot from his college coach and others that has helped with the quick trajectory the team has seen in just his second season behind the bench.
“I definitely take a lot from coach O’Neill and others including John Maguire, head coach at Waltham High School where I was an assistant when they won the Massachusetts state championship in 2018,” stated MacInnis. “I think the biggest takeaways have been really getting to know the players on a personal level, creating some work life balance and just a love of being at the rink every day. They say find something you love ,and you will never work a day in your life and that is what I have here at Salem State. There have definitely been a few “pinch me” moments that I am doing this, but this is what I love to do.”
The Vikings would love to play in a semifinal MASCAC playoff game and play for a 32nd conference title the following week. The young team has learned a lot over the course of the season and now hopes the applied lessons will carry them back to the top.
“Anything is possible in the playoffs,” noted MacInnis. “We have built a lot of confidence from winning games over teams like Endicott and coming back over Worcester State in the season finale as well as winning the Boston Landing tournament. We have also learned from adversity with some key losses. It is a three-game tournament and right now we are focused on the opponent for tonight as the Corsairs can be very dangerous with players like Tyler Stewart.”
