WATERVILLE, Maine— Sophomore Thomas Kramer (Bridgewater, Mass.) scored the go-ahead goal with 2:12 remaining in the third period as No. 9 Babson College pulled out a dramatic 5-4 victory over Colby College Sunday afternoon on day two of the Bowdoin-Colby Men's Hockey Faceoff Classic at the Jack Kelley Rink.

Kramer's game-winner capped a wild third period that saw five goals and three lead changes. The outcome gives Babson its fourth win in a row, improving the Beavers to 7-1-2 overall, while Colby drops to 1-2 on the season.

Babson, which came from behind three times, got goals from five different players, including third period power play markers from seniors Cam Schmitt (Andover, Mass.) and Trevor Marcinick (Dublin, Ohio), both of which tied the game. Senior Max Torrez (Framingham, Mass.) collected two assists, and graduate student Brad Arvanitis (Holliston, Mass.) made 31 saves to earn the victory in goal.

The Mules got two goals and an assist from senior Justin Grillo (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and a goal and an assist each from junior Carter Breitenfeldt (Edina, Minn.) and sophomore Jack Sullivan (Elmhurst  Ill.). Sophomore Andy Beran (St. Paul, Minn.) finished with 23 saves in the setback.

Colby struck first in the opening minute of play when Breitenfeldt snuck in behind the Babson defense, received a lead pass from senior Michael Morrissey (Bethlehem, Pa.) and fired a wrister from the left circle for his first goal of the season just 40 seconds after the opening faceoff.

Babson battled back to tie the game late in the period, capitalizing on a Colby turnover in its own zone. Junior Chris Rooney (Milton, Mass.) picked up a loose puck, worked a give-and-go with along the right boards, and Torrez set up Rooney for a goal from the slot with 1:17 left in the period to tie the score at 1-1 after one.

The Mules pulled ahead midway through the second period after Arvanitis made a save on Breitenfeldt's shot from low along the right boards, but the rebound came right to Grillo on the left, who fired home his third goal of the season.

Babson got a late goal for the second period in a row after first-year Wyatt George (Mount Lebann, Pa.) intercepted a Colby clearing pass along the right side just inside the blue line and fed senior Matt Wiesner (Newport Beach, Calif.) in the slot, and Wiesner fired home his fourth of the season with a minute left in the period, tying the score at 2-2 heading into the third.

The Beavers took their first lead of the day early in the third during a 4-on-3 power play, as Schmitt fired in a slap shot from the top of the left circle after a short pass from junior James Perullo (Revere, Mass.).

Colby evened the score with a shorthanded goal on another Grillo rebound as Arvanitis made a save on a shot from the right point by Sullivan but Grillo fired in the rebound from the slot. The Mules pulled ahead on a goal by Sullivan as his slap shot from the top of the right circle at 9:40 got past a screened Arvanitis.

Babson came back to tie the game with a power play goal of its own with six minutes remaining as Marcinick put home a rebound along the right post for his first of the season. With the clock winding down, a diagonal pass from senior John Corrigan (Stoneham, Mass.) from the left point was deflected to Kramer on the far post, and Kramer potted the game-winner into the open net from the right side.

Colby finished with a 35-28 advantage in shots. Babson went 2-for-8 on the power play but Colby came up empty on its only chance with a man advantage.

After posting three straight victories over New England Small Conference Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools, Babson returns to New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action with a pair of road games next weekend, traveling to New England College on Friday night and No. 4 Norwich University on Saturday afternoon.

GAME NOTES
• Babson pulled ahead 19-18-1 in the all-time against the Mules in the first meeting since January 3, 2014, in a series that dates back to 1975-76.
• The Beavers are now 6-1-1 this season when scoring at least three goals, and 29-2-1 since the start of the 2019-20 season with at least three goals.
• Babson has won all three games this season against teams from the NESCAC, and is 5-0-1 against the conference since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.