Men’s Hockey Starts Season at Salem State

SUFFOLK vs. SALEM STATE
Date Time Venue Video Stats Notes Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Saturday, Nov. 2 6:00 PM Rockett Arena Salem, Mass. MASCAC tv GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 4-2-2 Oct. 28, 2023, W, 7-5 Same W4

BOSTON – Suffolk men's hockey will pull the curtain back on its 2042-25 slate at Salem State Saturday, Nov. 2 at 6:00 p.m. 

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WELCOME BACK
Suffolk brings back 23 student-athletes from last year's team that went 5-18-2 overall.  

Nick Liotino (4g, 7a), Joe O'Brien (2g, 8a) and Ryan Webb (8g, 2a), all who eclipsed double-digit points a year ago highlight the returning skaters. All three netminders CJ Hapward (2.67 GAA, .923 save percentage), Kannon Flageolle (3.99 GAA, .897 save percentage) and Chris Jackson (4.78 GAA, .847 save percentage) are back in blue-and-gold as well. 

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk men's hockey's head coach Shawn McEachern has brought in 12 new members to the fold for the Rams' 2024-25 campaign. 

The group features nine true freshmen – Evan England, Phil Feinberg, Michael Gallagher, Perry Gaudreau, Nolan Leonard, Kyle Pelletier, Jack Robinson, Tommy Whitford and Daniel Woodford – a pair of sophomore transfers in Shane Adler from New England College and Max Banoun from Franklin Pierce, and grad transfer Michael McEachern, who played his undergraduate career at Colby. 

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Brings in a Dozen for 2024-25 

GEOGRPAHY 101
Suffolk's 35-man roster is comprised mainly of Bay State locals with 13 Rams calling Massachusetts home. Five hail from New Jersey and a trio are Rhode Island residents. A pair of players come from Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. California, Maryland, New Hampshire and West Virginia are all represented by one student-athlete each.

CLASS RANKS
Suffolk's squad is underclassmen heavy with 15 sophomores and nine true freshman. Eight juniors, two seniors and one grad transfer make up the rest of the roster. 

PUCK POSITIONS
When broken down by position, Suffolk has 21 forwards, 10 defensemen and four netminders.  

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk men's hockey will be led by juniors in Thomas Dempsey and Ryan Webb as the Rams' head coach Shawn McEachern named the pair co-captains for the 2024-25 season.  The duo takes the post for the first time in their careers. 

They are the second straight pair to earn the job following in Olle Akermark's and Devin Lowe's footsteps. The two skaters continue a long tradition of Suffolk men's hockey captains dating back when the program picked up after a hiatus in 1980-81 when James Tropsa led the blue-and-gold. Over 80 Rams have worn a letter at Suffolk University in the last 45-plus years. 

MORE READING: Dempsey, Webb to Captain Men's Hockey in 2024-25 

COACH'S BOX
Long-time NHLer Shawn McEachern begins his third season as the Rams head coach. Two years ago, the Stanley Cup Champion became the first-ever full-time head coach in Suffolk men's hockey history.  

McEachern will be aided by third-year assistant coaches Nick Roberto and Steve Sheridan. Ed Walsh joined the fold as a Goaltending Coach a year ago, while Cody Ferreiro volunteers his time as the Rams' Strength & Conditioning Coach.  

OPENIGN ACT

• The Rams are 10-13-1 in season debuts back to 1999. 
• Suffolk looks for its first season-opening win since lifting the lid on the 2020-21 campaign with a 5-3 triumph over Nichols Feb. 28, 2021. 
• The Rams will put the curtain back on their schedule as the away team for the first time since 2019-20 when it took down Franklin Pierce, 3-2. 
• Suffolk sports a 3-4-0 record on the road in the first outing of the year. 
• The Rams will play on the road in game one for the first time with Shawn McEachern on the bench. 
• The blue-and-gold has yet to win a season opener in the McEachern era.
• Suffolk is 7-8-0 in front of its home crown in its first game of the season. 
• The blue-and-gold has never found the win column in game one at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.

PRESEASON POSITION
Five days away from puck drop on the 2024-25 opener, Suffolk men's hockey has been selected fifth in the Conference of New England (CNE) Preseason Poll, in a vote by the league's eight head coaches.

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Picked Fifth in CNE Preseason Poll

VIKINGS VIEW
Salem State went 6-18-1 a year ago with all of its victories coming against MASCAC competition.  

The Vikings welcome back Keagan O'Donoghue (11g, 10a), Luke Day (9g, 5a), Landyn Greatorex (7g, 16) and Zack Dill (9g, 18). Defensemen Skyler Miller and Mitch Wilkie, who combined for 49 starts, return, as well as all three goalies from last season in Aaron Mercer (5.05 GAA, .884 save percentage), Hunter Thomas (3.19 GAA, .921 save percentage) and Will Nepveu (4.04 GAA, .896 save percentage). 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Suffolk, Salem State series is fairly new, with the Rams and Vikings meeting eight times over the last 10 years. 
• The Rams have won four games in a row over the Vikings to move to 4-2-2 all-time against SSU. 
• Suffolk defeated Salem State in the last meeting, 7-5, Oct. 28, 2023, to be unbeaten versus the Vikings under Shawn McEachern's guidance, 3-0-0.
• The blue-and-gold and Vikings have gone into overtime twice. Both OT outings in the series ended in a stalemate. 
• The last time Suffolk and Salem State went into overtime was Jan. 3, 2018. That game finished in a 2-2 draw. 
• At home, Suffolk is 3-1-1 versus SSU. 
• On the road, the Rams boast a 1-0-1 ledger against the Vikings. 
• Suffolk will skate at SSU in the McEachern era for the second time, first since Jan. 10, 2023, a 3-2 Rams' win. 
• Suffolk and SSU met on a neutral ice once, the first-ever meeting, Jan. 2, 2015. The Rams fell in that game, 4-1. 
• There has never been a shutout in a game between Suffolk and Salem State. 

MORE INFO: Suffolk vs. Salem State – All-Time Series 

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The showdown with Salem State preps the blue-and-gold for its Conference of New England (CNE) calendar that starts Nov. 8-9 with a home-and-home series against Wentworth. The Rams host the Leopeards Friday at 5:00 p.m., before visiting WIT Saturday at 4:00 p.m.