BOX SCORE
BABSON PARK, Mass. – UMass-Boston first-year Travis Daniel
(North Brunswick, N.J.) scored a spectacular goal with 18.7 seconds
left to lift the visiting Beacons to a stunning 4-3 victory over
host Babson College in a matchup of ECAC East rivals at the Babson
Skating Center on Wednesday night. With the win, UMass-Boston
enters the holiday break with a record of 6-2-0 overall and 3-2-0
in league play, while the Beavers fall to 4-4-0 overall and 3-2-0
in the ECAC East.
A turnover deep in the Babson zone led to UMass-Boston's
first goal of the game early in the first, as junior Andrew Burke
(Southampton, Pa.) intercepted an attempted clear on the left side
and sent a centering pass into the slot. There, junior Anthony
Fitti (Havertown, Pa.) hit a bouncing one-timer past Babson
sophomore goalie Zeke Testa (Wellesley, Mass.) and
inside the left post, giving the Beacons a 1-0 advantage at 4:39.
It was Fitti's fourth goal of the year.
Both teams enjoyed numerous scoring changes in a fast-paced
second period that featured a total of 34 shots and six powerplays.
However, neither team would score until the final four minutes of
the session, when Babson freshman Troy Starrett
(Bellingham, Mass.) tipped classmate Ben
Kravitz's (Huntingont, N.Y.) shot from the right
point just inside the left post for his first collegiate goal on a
powerplay at 16:08. However, UMass-Boston regained the lead with a
powerplay score of its own later in the period, as Daniel stuffed
home a rebound of senior Eric Tufman's (Abington, Pa.) shot
from the blue line during a man-advantage at 19:26. It was
Daniel's third goal of the winter and it gave the visitors a
2-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
The Beavers knotted the score again early in the third period.
Junior Sean Roche (Franklin, Mass.) carried the
puck into the UMass-Boston zone and passed it off to sophomore
Trevor Hines (Newburyport, Mass.), who wristed his
first goal of the season into the upper left corner from just
outside the crease at 2:46. UMass-Boston then regained the
advantage when junior Bill Baker (Vancouver, British Columbia) put
back his own rebound from point blank range for his first goal of
the year at 12:36, giving the Beacons a 3-2 lead.
That set the stage for an incredible final minute of play, which
began with Babson pulling Testa on a powerplay for a two-skater
advantage. During a tie-up along the boards in the right corner,
junior Mike Hoban (Medfield, Mass.) knocked the
puck out to first-year Matt Furey (Quincy, Mass.),
who crossed it to fellow freshman Ryan Heavey (Andover,
Mass.) at the left point. Heavey then wristed a shot that
found its way through a crowd in front and into the upper left
corner for his first collegiate goal, tying the contest at 3-3 with
just 34.4 seconds left in regulation.
Despite the dramatic turn of events, UMass-Boston came right
back off the ensuing face-off, as Tufman won the draw and sent the
puck to junior John Hubbard (Arlington, Texas) on the right side.
Hubbard then gained the zone and wristed a high shot toward the
right circle, where Daniel redirected it out of mid-air and into
the upper right corner for his second goal of the game and fourth
of the season with 18.7 left on the clock. The Beavers would empty
their net again for an extra attacker, but the Beacons defense did
not allow a shot the rest of the way as UMass-Boston came away with
the 4-3 victory.
Senior goalie Thomas Speer (Wausau, Wisc.) finished with 35
saves in net for the Beacons, while Testa turned away 31 shots in
goal for Babson.
