BOX SCORE

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Host Babson College and the visiting University of Southern Maine played to a 2-2 overtime tie in an ECAC East men's ice hockey matchup at the Babson Skating Center on Saturday afternoon. With the deadlock, Babson is now 8-7-1 overall and 6-4-1 in conference play, while USM moves to 4-9-3 overall and 2-8-1 in the ECAC East.

Both team's goaltenders were brilliant in their respective nets. Southern Maine freshman Braely Torris (Eckville, Alberta) finished with 40 saves in goal, while Beavers sophomore Zeke Testa (Wellesley, Mass.) turned away 30 shots for the hosts.
 
Each team scored a goal in the final five minutes of the opening period, beginning when Babson sophomore PT Donato (Arlington, Mass.) stuffed home a puck from the right side of the crease on a powerplay at 15:56. It was his 11th goal of the season, extending his streak of consecutive games with at least one point to eight, with assists going to junior Mike Hoban (Medfield, Mass.) and freshman Ryan Heavey (Andover, Mass.).
 
Southern Maine tied it up less than a minute later, as freshman Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass.) put back a rebound of senior Paul Conter's (Woodbridge, Ontario) shot from the left point at 16:37. It was the first goal of Thibodeau's collegiate career, as he evened the contest at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
 
Following a scoreless second period, Southern Maine grabbed its first lead of the game when freshman Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.) intercepted a pass a center ice and skated in all alone on Testa. Babson's sophomore goaltender appeared to make a nice block on Greene's ensuing backhand effort, but the puck managed to cross the goal line just inside the right post to give the Huskies a 2-1 advantage at 1:17. It was Greene's third goal of the campaign.
 
The Beavers answered at the six-minute mark of the third, as Donato found first-year Matt O'Neill (Norwell, Mass.) on the left side of the crease on a Babson powerplay. The rookie forward then lifted a shot into an open net for his fourth goal of the season, tying the contest at 2-2 at 5:59.
 
Babson nearly pulled out the victory with 1:40 left in regulation, as senior captains Terry Woods (Duxbury, Mass.) and Jason Schneider (Littleton, Mass.) raced out to a 2-on-1 break. However, Torris made a nice kick save on Schneider's wrister from the right circle to keep the game even.
 
The Beavers had the better of the scoring chances in overtime, mounting five shots to Southern Maine's one. Schneider had another chance when he followed up a blocked shot by freshman Shayne Anderson (Dorchester, Mass.) in front, but Torris again made the stop. The Huskies then had their best chance of the period when junior Dan Rautenberg (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) nearly broke in alone at 1:20, but a last-second poke check by a Babson defenseman forced him to take a wide angle on net. Testa easily deflected his shot from the right circle on what would be USM's final shot on goal.
 
Babson would mount four more shots in the final three minutes, but Torris was equal to the task. The most dangerous came when Donato redirected a slapper from the right point on net from the bottom of the right circle, but the Huskies' rookie goalie came up with the stop. USM would manage two more shot attempts in the final 70 seconds, but both bids went well wide of the net as the contest ended in a 2-2 tie.