Waltham's MacInnis on roll for Salem State

December 24, 2009

By Marvin Pave, Globe Correspondent

Salem State College senior winger Chris MacInnis entered exam and holiday break on a high note, scoring two goals in the Vikings' 8-2 victory over Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Dec. 12.

A Globe All-Scholastic in his days at Waltham High, the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder makes up for his lack of size with his speed.

"It's always great to go into the New Year after a win,'' said MacInnis, whose high school coach, John Maguire, and his father, Thomas, played on the same line at Waltham High in the late 1970s.

"Our team has been improving every year, and we showed we could match up with the teams out West last month,'' he said, referring to Salem State's trip to Duluth, Minn., where his team fell in overtime, 4-3, to host College of St. Scholastica, and then scored a 3-0 victory against St. Norbert, then the nation's top-ranked Division 3 team, at the Western Thanksgiving Showcase.

Salem State, which resumes play Jan. 4 against visiting Colby, was 6-2-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the newly formed Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference hockey league.

MacInnis, who is second in team scoring (6-39) and has 81 career points (36 goals, 45 assists), is joined on the squad by linemate Nick Lampson, a freshman from Groton (South Kent School) who is the team's leading scorer (7 goals and 4 assists); senior defenseman Kevin Hughes of Natick (St. Sebastian's), who played with MacInnis on the Walpole Stars of the Eastern Junior Hockey League for current Vikings assistant coach Jack Sweeney, and freshman forward Dan Rowland, who also played at Waltham High and then skated for one season at Proctor Academy.

"Chris is one of the best players in our league and he's been a point producer ever since he got here,'' said Salem State's head coach of 29 seasons, Billy O'Neill. "He's just top-notch, very athletic, and we've moved him to the point this year on our power play.''

Reviewing the roster of local players, O'Neill said, "Nick is a terrific talent who has already played a prominent role for us and scored some big goals, Kevin is one of our team leaders, a high-character guy who can kill penalties and double-shift, and Dan really competes and loves to play. He's going to have a great career here.''

MacInnis was a freshman on Waltham's Division 1 state championship hockey team his freshman year, and also played in the Super 8 tourney as a junior and senior. He helped Waltham gain its first outright Greater Boston League title as a junior.

"Playing the point on the power play and with Nick has been special,'' said MacInnis, who said he would like to be a high school hockey coach when his playing days are over. "Being on the point lets me see the ice well, and I can pass and get shots off. Nick has great skills and he can make a defenseman look silly.''

Both players scored goals in the Thanksgiving tournament. Lampson has three power play goals overall, and MacInnis was recently honored as Salem State's Player of the Week.

"I saw Chris play against Framingham State earlier this season,'' said Maguire, in his 25th season at Waltham, "and he was the best player on the ice by far. I know he'd make a good coach because he's passionate about the sport, and we've talked hockey on many occasions. I just don't want him taking my job.''