BEVERLY, Mass. — The second-seeded Endicott men's ice hockey team (16-5-5) hosts fourth-seeded Salve Regina (17-8-2) on Saturday at 2 PM in its quest to repeat as champions of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).
The Gulls advanced to the championship after a thrilling overtime game-winner from Jimmy McIsaac (Winnipeg, Manitoba) that propelled them past third-seeded UNE, 3-2, in the semifinal round.
Salve Regina punched its ticket to the CCC Championship after the Seahawks trounced top-seeded Curry, 7-2, on the road.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Endicott is 9-2-3 on its home ice this season, while Salve Regina is 8-4-2 on the road.
- The two teams met in the semifinal round of last season's CCC Tournament. The Gulls erased a 4-2 third period deficit thanks to four goals from Cass Bowes (Sturgeon County, Alberta), sending them through to the championship round against Curry.
- Salve Regina is led by the conference's leading scorer Matthew Fawcett (Lincoln, R.I.) (16), while Endicott is led by second-leading scorer Jackson Sterrett (Hendersonville, Tenn.) (15).
- The Blue and Green took the season series, 1-0-1. In a home-and-away series on December 1 and 2, 2023, the teams played to a 2-2 tie at Salve Regina, before Endicott took won the home half of the series, 3-2, the following night.
- The Seahawks possess the conference's top-scoring offense at 3.93 goals per game, which is good for eighth nationally. The Gulls rank second in the conference and 13th nationally with 3.77 goals per game.
WHAT'S NEXT
The winner of Saturday's contest will be crowned the 2023-24 CCC Men's Ice Hockey Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2023-24 NCAA Division III National Tournament. The loser of the contest will hope to receive an at-large bid in the NCAA Selection Show at 10 AM on Monday, March 4.
For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
(Photo Credit - Kaeli Talora '25)
