CASTLETON, Vt. -- First-year Max Franklin scored his first collegiate goal with less than six minutes to go in regulation and senior captain Zeke Testa made 39 saves in net to lift the nationally-ranked Babson College men's ice hockey team to a 1-0 victory over host Castleton State University in a clash of ECAC East foes on Friday night.

With both teams jockeying for position near the top of the league standings, Babson, ranked 14th in the country in the latest D3hockey.com poll, grabbed two critical points to keep the pressure on both Castleton State (13-6-2, 8-5-1 ECAC East) and UMass-Boston. The Beavers (11-5-4, 7-3-2 ECAC East) now have 16 points on the year - only one behind third-place Castleton and two behind second-place UMB.

The Beavers were outshot in Friday's contest, 39-20, but had the one that counted when Franklin potted the first goal of his collegiate career at 14:12 of the third period. Junior Ryan Heavey picked up his 11th assist of the year on the play, which turned out to be the only goal of the contest.

Making his second straight start, Testa was brilliant in net for Babson, stopping 13 shots in the first, 16 in the second, and 10 in the third for a season-high 39 saves in the game. The shutout was the senior captain's first of the winter and the fourth of his career.

GAME NOTES: Babson now owns a 9-4-2 advantage in the all-time series with Castleton State... The Beavers complete their weekend road trip with a 4 p.m. matchup at Skidmore on Saturday.