Box
Score
BABSON PARK, Mass. - A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
scored the game-winning goal just over two minutes into overtime to
lift the United States National Team Development Program Under-18
Team to a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind win over host Babson
College in the semifinal round of the sixth annual Babson
Invitational Men's Ice Hockey Tournament presented by Irving Oil on
Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Team USA advances to tomorrow's championship game,
where they will face Manhattanville College at 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, Babson will take on the University of Southern Maine in
the consolation game at 1 p.m.
Babson came out firing in the first period, scoring two goals on
eight shots. First-year Mike Hoban (Medfield,
Mass.) netted the first on a powerplay when he took a pass
from senior Alex DiPietro (Winthrop, Mass.) on the
left side and placed a perfect shot into the upper left corner of
the net at 6:13. The Beavers then struck again with a shorthanded
goal later in the session when DiPietro fired a wide shot that
caromed off the back board behind the net and bounced out near the
right post. Babson junior Jason Schneider (Littleton,
Mass.) then tucked the rebound past USA goalie Adam Murray
(Anchorage, Alaska) to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion at 14:51.
Team USA cuts its deficit in half in the opening moments of the
second period, as Chris McCarthy (Collegeville, Pa.) took a pass
from Ryan Bourque (Boxford, Mass.) and lifted a shot over the
stick-side shoulder of Babson senior goalie Skylar Nipps
(Orlando, Fla.) at 2:31. However, the Beavers
re-established their two goal advantage at 6:30 of the third, as
junior Shane Farrell (West Warwick, R.I.) scored
an unassisted goal on a wrister from the left circle to give Babson
a 3-1 lead.
Team USA came storming back with consecutive goals just 17
seconds apart later in the third, beginning when Kevin Lynch
(Grosse Point, Mich.) scored off a pass from behind the net by Kyle
Palmieri (Montvale, N.J.) at 7:53. Kenny Ryan (Franklin Village,
Mich.) then intercepted the puck deep in the Babson zone and beat
Nipps with a backhand on the breakaway to even the contest at 3-3
at 8:14. Team USA then secured the 4-3 comeback victory at 2:09 of
the overtime period, as Treais took a pass from Bourque and hit a
rocket that glanced off Nipps and trickled just over the line
inside the right post for the game-winning goal.
