Seahawks claim first ECAC Northeast championship

The men’s ice hockey team claimed its first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast championship last Saturday with a 4-0 victory over No. 1 seed Endicott College.

With the win, Salve Regina (17-10-1) earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament – its first in program history. The Seahawks will travel to New York this weekend to face SUNY Geneseo in the first round of the tournament, with game time set for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 12.

“As I said to the boys, it’s a life lesson,” said head coach Andy Boschetto. “Sometimes life doesn’t give it to you right away to see if you’re ready for it. My guys were this year and earned it. Very happy and proud for my guys as well as all the alumni and parents who have put in blood, sweat and tears.”

Scoring for the Seahawks were Kevin Clare ’19, Tommy Evangelista ’17, James Malone ’18 and Alex Pompeo ’16, while goaltender Blake Wojtala ’19 stopped a season-high 43 shots to improve to 13-7-0 on the year and earn the tournament’s most outstanding player honors.