BOX SCORE

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Babson College men's ice hockey team's magical late-season run came to an end on Wednesday, as the Beavers fell to host Amherst College, 4-1, in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament. Making its national tourney appearance, Babson finishes the year with a record of 13-14-1, while Amherst, in its second NCAA Tournament showing, moves on with a record of 22-4-1.

Babson hit the post three times and had three power play opportunities in the opening period, but the Beavers could not find the back of the net. Amherst's lone power play of the frame came just 24 seconds into the game, but the Jeffs could not capitalize.

The opening five minutes featured several close calls, but none were closer than when first-year Mike Hoban (Medfield, MA) carried the puck around the back of the net, turned and ripped a shot from the left face-off circle only to have it clang off of the near post. It was déjà vu 10 minutes into the game and again 14 minutes into the contest when first-year Cody Carlson (Peterborough, NH) and junior Casey Fazekas (Montreal, Quebec) each hit the same post with shots from the same side.

With 4:30 to play in the opening period, Carlson ripped a shot from the left side toward the far post, but Amherst sophomore netminder Jonathan La Rose (Boyle, Alberta) made a nice glove save. La Rose came up with 16 saves in the first 20 minutes of action, while first-year Andrew Peabody (Marblehead, MA) stopped 13 shots for the Beavers.

After three near-misses in the first period, Babson's persistence finally paid off when junior Chris Wood (Medford, MA) scored the first goal of the game 9:56 into the second frame. After an Amherst penalty, the Jeffs won the ensuing face-off in their defensive end and cleared the puck the length of the ice. The Beavers regrouped, stormed down the ice and scored on their first shot of the power play as Wood gave his team a 1-0 lead.

Babson's lead lasted for a mere 36 seconds, as senior Brendan Powers (Walpole, MA) tied the game at 1-1 at the 10:32 mark. With a crowd of players in front of the Babson net, Powers' shot appeared to be stopped by Peabody, but the puck came loose and trickled across the goal line to even the contest.

Amherst took its first lead of the game less than two minutes after Powers netted the equalizer thanks to a perfectly executed 3-on-1 attack by sophomore Matt Rhone (Dedham, MA), senior Rylan Burns (Jasper, Alberta) and senior captain Jeff Landers (Hanover, MA). Rhone received the puck on the left side, dropped it back to Burns at the point, and the NESCAC Player of the Year finished off the beautiful play with a one-timer past Peabody inside the right post.

Landers' goal would be the period's last, with Babson trailing 2-1 heading into the second intermission despite holding a 37-32 cumulative edge in shots on goal.

Collins and Powers connected for a second time 6:41 into the third period to give Amherst a 3-1 lead. Collins carried the puck along the right boards and lofted a pass across the ice. The puck made its way through traffic and found Powers, who was there to drill it home for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.

The nail in the coffin was hammered in by first-year Eddie Effinger (Belleville, IL), who gave the Jeffs a comfortable 4-1 advantage with only 3:47 remaining in regulation. Effinger received a perfect pass from behind the net off the stick of senior Joel Covelli (Carlisle, Ontario) and put home a one-timer for his seventh goal of the season.

The Beavers emptied their net but neither team would score again, as Amherst held on for the 4-1 victory to advance to the national quarterfinals. La Rose finished with 48 saves to improve to 12-1-0 on the season, while Peabody stopped 38 shots to wrap up his season at 11-8-0.

NOTE: Taken from an Amherst College press release.