Jan. 25, 2008
Box Score
GORHAM, Maine - Senior Mike Venit netted his second goal of the game with 5:46 remaining in regulation to lift the Babson College men's ice hockey team to a thrilling 5-4 come-from-behind win over the host University of Southern Maine in a matchup of nationally-ranked ECAC East squads on Friday night.
With the win, the Beavers, ranked 14th in the country, improved to 11-3-2 overall and 7-2-1 in the conference, while the 11th-ranked Huskies moved to 10-3-3 overall and 4-3-3 in league play.
Venit gave Babson a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the night and sixth of the season when he converted assists from sophomore Shave Farrell and junior Pat McLaughlin at 6:45 of the opening period. However, USM tied the game when Eric Morgani struck just over two minutes later and later took the lead when Pat Noonan scored at 16:10 of the first.
Babson evened the score twice in the second, but each time the Huskies responded to go back in front. Senior co-captain John Geverd made it a 2-2 game with a powerplay goal just 25 seconds into the session, but USM's Dan Gordon potted a powerplay score of his own to give his team a 3-2 edge at 2:43. Farrell later scored on a man-advantage with Venit providing the assist at 13:32 to once again even things up, but Noonan netted his second of the night a minute later to give the Huskies a 4-3 lead after two.
With the Beavers still trailing by one midway through the third period, McLaughlin tallied his team's third powerplay goal of the night at 10:13 to knot the score at 4-4. That set up Venit's eventual game-winner four minutes later, as he once again scored off assists from McLaughlin and Farrell at 14:14 to put Babson in front, 5-4. Junior goaltender Skylar Nipps and the Beavers' defense did the rest, as the Huskies were held to just five shots and no goals in the final 20 minutes - including a spectacular five-minute penalty kill in which they did not allow a shot on net at the start of the period.
Venit finished with two goals and one assist in the win for Babson, while Farrell and McLaughlin each added one goal and two assists apiece. Junior co-captain Brad Baldelli also tallied two assists, and Nipps finished with 17 saves in net. The Beavers outshot the Huskies, 34-21, in the contest.
