Jan. 19, 2008

Box Score

BABSON PARK, Mass. - The 13th-ranked Babson College men's ice hockey team scored three goals in the final period to skate away with a 5-2 victory over visiting Saint Michael's College in an ECAC East matchup at the Babson Skating Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Beavers upped their record to 9-3-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the conference, while the Purple Knights dropped to 5-7-1 overall and 1-7-1 in the East.

Junior Pat McLaughlin (Berlin, Mass.) had a huge game for Babson, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist, while senior Mike Venit (Ridley Park, Pa.) tallied one goal and one assist. Junior co-captain Brad Baldelli (Northboro, Mass.) and sophomore Jason Schneider (Littleton, Mass.) also netted goals in the win, and junior goalie Skylar Nipps (Orlando, Fla.) made 29 saves in net.

After a scoreless first period, Saint Michael's jumped in front at 2:40 of the second when senior Matt Hall (Scituate, Mass.) fired a shot from the left side that was initially stopped by Nipps but tricked free into the net for the game's first goal. Things stayed that way until 14:35 into the period, when Baldelli broke free in the middle of the Purple Knights' zone and wristed a shot past junior goalie Tyler Brunton (Phoenix, Ariz.) and inside the left post to tie the game at 1-1.

The Beavers grabbed their first lead just over two minutes later, when McLaughlin collected his own rebound and backhanded a shot past a sprawling Brunton at 16:38 of the second. Saint Michael's then tied the game again at 18:14, as senior Andrick Deppmeyer (Claremont, N.H.) collected a rebound of junior Chris Healey's (Salem, N.H.) shot and blasted a slapper off the post and in from the left circle.

After firing a total of 32 shots on goal in the second period, the two teams combined for just 13 attempts in the third. However, Babson would convert three of its eight chances to claim the 5-2 victory. Venit gave the Beavers the lead for good when converted a perfect feed from McLaughlin on a 2-on-1 break just 1:28 into the period, and McLaughlin made it 4-2 with his second of the game when he one-timed a pass from sophomore Shane Farrell (West Warwick, R.I.) past Brunton from the left point at 3:59. Saint Michael's would empty the net on a powerplay with 1:50 left, but Schneider intercepted a pass at mid-ice and converted a short-handed goal with 29.4 seconds remaining for the 5-2 final.

Brunton played all but one minute in net for the Purple Knights, finishing with 32 saves.