BABSON PARK, Mass.— Senior Matt Wiesner (Newport Beach, Calif.) tallied a goal and an assist and junior Nolan Hildebrand (Penticton, B.C.) made 24 saves in his first start of the season as No. 8 Babson College doubled up Skidmore College, 4-2, in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) men's ice hockey action on Saturday afternoon inside the Babson Skating Center.

With the win, Babson improves to 4-1-2 overall and 3-1-2 in league play, while Skidmore drops to 2-3-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the NEHC.

Wiesner scored the only goal of the first period, firing a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that eluded Skidmore sophomore goaltender Tate Brandon (Irvington, N.Y.) at the 10:54 mark.

The Thoroughbreds evened the score midway through the second frame when sophomore Everett Wardle (Hewlett, N.Y.) intercepted an errant Babson clearing pass right in the slot and snapped a shot past Hildebrand. The home team regained the lead with 2:09 remaining in the second when graduate student Paul Boutoussov (Dana Point, Calif.) stuffed one just inside the right post on a pass from behind the net by Wiesner.

Babson extended the lead to 3-1 midway through the third period when a crossing pass from the left side by senior Ryan Black (Pomfret ,Conn.) ricocheted off a Skidmore skate and into the goal. The Beavers added an insurance marker with 3:49 remaining as first-year Matt Cormier (Waltham, Mass.) potted his first career goal.

Skidmore pulled its goalie late in the period and Wardle notched his second goal of the game with an extra skater on the ice, but Babson wound out the clock to thwart a Thoroughbred comeback.

Only three penalties were called in the entire game, all against Babson, but Skidmore was unsuccessful on all three power play opportunities.

Babson will be at home again on Tuesday, hosting Tufts in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. Skidmore will host the Thanksgiving Invitational next Saturday and Sunday, which includes Chatham University, Connecticut College and SUNY Brockport.

GAME NOTES
• Babson is 36-6-2 all-time against the Thoroughbreds in a series that dates back to 1999.
• The Beavers are unbeaten over their last 20 games against Skidmore dating back to the 2013 ECAC East Tournament. Babson has also won 12 in a row at home against the Thoroughbreds, which includes four one-goal victories since 2016.
• Wiesner has tallied two goals and four assists in his career vs. the Thoroughbreds, including three assists in two games in 2019-20.
• Black got back on the scoresheet with a goal after his 15-game point streak was snapped in Friday's tie with Castleton.
• The Beavers had scored on the power play in 13 of their last 14 games going back to the start of the abbreviated 2021 campaign before being held with an opportunity against Skidmore.