Men's Ice Hockey vs. Southern Maine
Friday, February 9—7 p.m.
Babson Skating Center—Babson Park, Mass.
THE SERIES
Babson and Southern Maine will meet for the third time this season and 37th time overall in a series that dates back to 1995. The Beavers are 27-8-1 all-time against the Huskies and have won 13 straight in the series going back to the 2012-13 campaign.
LAST MEETING
Seniors Rob Devaney and Ryan Gouveia both scored early in the third period and junior goaltender Bryan Botcher made 33 saves as the Beavers defeated Southern Maine, 2-0, on January 20 in Babson Park. Four different players recorded an assist for the Green and White, which saw Botcher turn away 16 shots in the final stanza. First-year netminder Anthony D'Aloisio made 25 saves for the Huskies.
LAST SOUTHERN MAINE WIN
Dan Rautenberg scored a pair of second-period goals and Braely Torris made 28 saves as the sixth-seeded Huskies defeated thiord-seeded Babson, 2-1, in an ECAE East Tournament quarterfinal on February 28, 2012, in Babson Park. Mike Driscoll '15 scored the Beavers lone goal 3:23 into the first period.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Southern Maine (3-16-4, 3-10-3 NEHC) has dropped its last seven games following a 5-1 loss at Castleton last Saturday. First-year Adam Papayoanou scored just over four minutes into the second period for the Huskies, who allowed three power play goals to the Spartans. First-year Michael Taormina (4-6-10) and junior Parker Sanderson (5-4-9) have combined to scored five times on the power play, while sophomore Brendan Murphy (1-8-9) leads the team in assists. D'Aloisio has gone 3-12-4 with a 2.82 goals against average and a .906 save percentage in 19 starts this season. Southern Maine has scored just four goals during its current losing streak.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Babson (12-8-3, 10-4-2 NEHC) is unbeaten over its last three games after defeating Skidmore in overtime, 3-2, last Saturday. Senior Bobby Hall had a goal and an assist and classmate Matt McMorrow scored 12 seconds into the extra session for the Beavers, who picked up their first OT win since 2015. McMorrow (6-14-20) ranks seventh in the league in assists, Gouveia (11-7-18) owns three power play and three game-winning goals, and Hall (10-8-18) has seven points over the last five contests. Botcher and fellow junior Matt Pompa have combined to a post a 2.13 goals against average and a .919 save percentage with three shutouts this winter. The Green and White is averaging the second fewest penalty minutes (7.96) in Division III.
STREAKING BEAVERS
Hall (3-4-7) has produced at least one point in five consecutive games, while first-year Patrick Flynn (0-4-4) enters Friday's contest riding a three-game points streak. Additionally, McMorrow (3-7-10) and Gouveia (6-2-8) have combined for nine goals and nine assists over Babson's last eight outings going back to January 13.
JOCKEYING FOR POSITION
Although the Beavers are out of the NEHC regular season title chase, they have clinched home ice for the conference tournament quarterfinals on February 17, and enter the weekend just one point behind second-place Hobart. The Green and White needs just one point to clinch at least the third seed and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Statesmen should the teams finished tied for second.
STANDING TALL IN THE CREASE
Pompa (3-0-0) and Botcher (2-0-0) have combined to post a 0.60 goals against average and a .973 save percentage stopping 109 of 112 shots in five career starts against the Huskies.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Beavers are 10-0-1 this season when allowing two goals or less.
