Sasquatch Triumph Over Mallards in High-Octane Affair

Sasquatch Triumph Over Mallards in High-Octane Affair

Attleboro, MA December 21, 2024 — A thrilling, back-and-forth game saw the Salem Sasquatch edge out the Norfolk Mallards in a 4-3 victory at New England Sports Village on Saturday night. The fast-paced contest featured a flurry of scoring, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the game. Ultimately, it was Salem’s timely offense and solid goaltending that sealed the win.

Salem forward Andrew Contrada played a key role in his team's success, scoring twice, including the game-tying goal in the third period. Contrada’s first goal came early in the second period, at 14:03, when he finished off a beautiful setup from Justin Arnold. Just over a minute later, at 12:59, Jay Delaney struck with a goal of his own, an unassisted effort that put the Sasquatch up 2-0. However, Norfolk would quickly respond. The Mallards' Kyle Nicolas got his team on the board at 8:46 of the second period, with an assist from Matt Guertin. With just one second remaining in the period, Norfolk pulled even when David Piela scored with a setup from Hayden Kearney to make it 2-2 heading into the third.

The third period saw both teams continue to push the pace. Norfolk grabbed their first lead of the game at 12:07, when Jack Halloran’s goal, assisted by Josh Hogue, made it 3-2. But Salem wasn’t done. Just four minutes later, Contrada struck again, scoring unassisted to tie the game at 3-3. The forward’s second goal came at 8:09 and gave his team the momentum heading into the final frame.

With the game hanging in the balance in the overtime, it was the Sasquatch’s John Hamilton who emerged as the hero. At 2:31, Hamilton buried a feed from Arnold and Delaney to give Salem a 4-3 lead.

Both goaltenders were sharp throughout the game, with Salem’s Hunter Tetreault and Norfolk’s Mike Boccuzzi standing tall in their respective nets. Boccuzzi, who faced 48 shots, made 44 saves for a .917 save percentage. Tetreault, on the other hand, stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced, posting a .919 save percentage.

3 Stars of the Game

1. Andrew Contrada- Salem- 2 goals

2. Jay Delany- Salem- 1 goal 1 assist

3. Justin Arnold- Salem- 2 assists

Looking ahead

Both teams will be home next weekend on 12/28. The Sasquatch look to take their win streak to 5 games against a tough 2nd place Holyoke team. Norfolk will look to make the jump to 3rd place when they play the Boston Gold Kings.

Salem Sasquatch 4 – Norfolk Mallards 3