NORTHFIELD, Vt.—Junior Dmitry Ermakov (Columbia, Md.) scored twice and Norwich University tallied four unanswered goals en route to a 5-1 victory over No. 6 USCHO.com/No. 7 D3hockey.com Babson College in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action on Friday night at Kreitzberg Arena.

Babson, which had won four straight games entering the night, drops to 15-5-2 overall and 11-3-2 in league play, while Norwich snapped its three-game winless streak to move to 14-7-2 overall and 9-5-2 in the NEHC.

Junior Dan Casey (Chatham, N.J.) scored the Beavers' lone goal, while senior Phil Saviuk (Pointe-Claire, Quebec) and junior Michael Phillips (Richmond Heights, Ohio) each finished with an assist.

Junior Brian Rowland (Waltham, Mass.) had a two-point night with a goal and an assist, while classmates Tyler Piacentini (South Weymouth, Mass.) and Paul Russell (Andover, Mass.) both scored once for the Cadets, who scored on each of their first three power play opportunities.

Rowland scored on the power play at 7:59 of the first period to give Norwich a 1-0 lead, but the Green and White responded just under five minutes later as Casey notched his eighth goal of the season with a one-timer off a feed from Phillips to even the game at 1-1 at the 12:49 mark. The Cadets killed off a power play to open the second period and then took advantage of a pair of Babson penalties with goals to break the game open.

Piacentini swatted home a loose puck in the slot to make it 2-1 just under four minutes into the second, and Ermakov finished a centering pass all alone on the edge of the right face-off circle to give Norwich a two-goal lead at the 7:37 mark. Russell then followed with another power play goal, collecting a feed from the point and beating Beavers' first-year goaltender Matt Pompa (Palm City, Fla.) to make it 4-1 at 12:24 of the second.

Babson was unable to take advantage of power play opportunities late in the second and early in the third period, and the Cadets extended their lead as Ermakov tacked on an insurance goal at the 7:01 mark.

Pompa made 19 saves over the first 47:01, while first-year Brian Botcher (Mequon, Wis.) made his collegiate debut and stopped one shot over the final 12:59 of the third period for the Green and White. Sophomore Braeden Ostepchuk (Lethbridge, Alberta) turned away 24 shots to earn his 11th win of the year for Norwich.

The Beavers went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Cadets finished 3-for-5.

Both teams return to the ice on Saturday at 4 p.m. as Babson visits Saint Michael's, while Norwich hosts UMass-Boston.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 23-38-6 all-time against Norwich and have dropped three straight games at Kreitzberg Arena.
• Friday's loss dropped Babson to 7-3-2 away from home this season.
• The Beavers are now 14-1-2 this season when leading or tied after the first period.
• Babson is 0-5-1 on the year when giving up the first goal.