WESTFIELD, Mass. – Junior forward Rory Wilkowich scored with 2:21 remaining in overtime to lift Westfield State to a stunning 5-4 victory over Salem State in MASCAC ice hockey on Thursday, Feb. 16.
 
Westfield's upset victory denied Salem State head coach William O'Neill his 500^th career win for the second straight game. His record is now 499-310-54 in 31 years as Salem's head coach.
 
Salem is 12-8-3 overall and remains in second place in the MASCAC with a 9-4-3 record. Westfield is 6-12-5 and 4-9-4.
 
The Owls took a 2-0 lead on a first-period goal by Dan Loughlin and a wrister just inside the blue line, and a goal from Taylor Murphy early in the second period.
 
Salem then ripped off three second-period goals in a span of five minutes to take its only lead, 3-2. Junior standout Nick Lampson scored on a power play 10:59 into the second stanza. Lampson lit the lamp again at the 14:37 mark. Derek Crocker put Salem ahead, 3-2, with a goal 21 seconds later.
 
Westfield regained the lead with a pair of third-period power play goals. Freshman Steve Evans snuck the puck past the goalie off a rebound on a 5-on-3 to tie the score 7:39 into the third period. Todd Gebert scored 34 seconds later, sailing a shot just under the crossbar from inside the blue line.
 
The Vikings knotted the score late in the third period as they took advantage of a double-minor penalty assessed to the Owls. Salem's Eric Defelice scored off a rebound with 15 seconds remaining in the four-minute penalty following a barrage of shots to make it 4-4 with 2:58 remaining.
 
Westfield had a power play opportunity in the final 30 seconds of regulation and the opening 1:30 of overtime but could not capitalize. Wilkowich then ended the game and sent the Owls and crowd into a frenzy with a wicked shot that rang off the right corner of the upper post.
 
First Period Scoring:
Westfield: Dan Loughlin (Billy Miller, Rory Wilkowich), 9:09
 
Second Period Scoring:
Westfield: Taylor Murphy (Adam Baldassarre, Nic Vidoni), 3:06
Salem: Nick Lampson (Eric Defelice, Dan Smolinsky), 10:59, PP
Salem: Nick Lampson (Eric Defelice, Giancario Capodanno), 14:37
Salem: Derek Crocker (Chris Costigan, Ian Flanagan), 14:58

Third Period Scoring:
Westfield: Steve Evans (Lucas Romero, Billy Miller), 7:39, PP
Westfield: Todd Gebert (Steve Evans, Jason Nelson), 8:13, PP
Salem: Eric Defelice (Nick Del Rosso, Nick Lampson), 17:02
 
Overtime Scoring:
Westfield: Rory Wilkowich (Jeff Callahan, Dan Loughlin), 2:30

Goalie Saves:
Westfield: Eddie Davey 29 saves