NORTHFIELD, Vt. — Sophomore Thomas Kramer (Bridgewater, Mass.) recorded a natural hat trick in the third period, including the game-winning goal with 49.9 seconds remaining, as No. 9 Babson College came from behind to defeat No. 6 Norwich University, 6-4, in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action Saturday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena.

Kramer, who tied the game at 4-4 midway through the third period, added an empty-netter with 26 seconds remaining to clinch Babson's fifth victory in a row as the Beavers improve to 8-1-2 overall and 4-1-2 in the NEHC. Norwich suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 6-1-3 overall and 3-1-3 in conference play.

In addition to Kramer's first career hat trick, the Beavers got a goal and an assist each from graduate student Paul Boutoussov (Dana Point, Calif.) and senior Matt Wiesner (Newport Beach, Calif.) and a goal from senior Jack Nisbet (Scituate, Mass.). Junior Andrew Holland (Winchester, Mass.) collected two assists and junior Nolan Hildebrand (Penticton, B.C.) made 17 saves in goal to post the victory.

Senior Noah Williams (Cortland, N.Y.) scored two goals to lead the Cadets, while first-year Bryan O'Meara (Syracuse, N.Y.) added a goal and an assist and classmate Isaac Chapman (Lower Sackville, N.S.) scored once in the setback. Senior Devon Becker (Langley, B.C.) and sophomore Logan vande Meerakker (Dieppe, N.B.) tallied two assists each, and junior Andrew Albano (Hamilton, Ont.) finished with 24 saves.

Norwich took its first lead at 8:40 of the first period when sophomore Patrick O'Neal (Indiana, Pa.) sent a backhand pass from the slot to the right post where Chapman stuffed in his first career goal. Babson tied the score just a minute later during a 3-on-1 transition when Nisbet scored on a wrister from the right face-off circle.

The Cadets pulled ahead on a power play goal at 14:35 when O'Meara converted a diagonal pass from the left point, firing a shot from the bottom of the right circle into an open net, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead after one period.

Williams extended Norwich's margin to 3-1 four minutes into the second period, firing in a one-timer from the right circle. The Beavers battled back with two goals in the next four minutes, scoring a power play goal when Wiesner pounded home a loose puck after a scrum in front, and getting the equalizer by Boutoussov at 7:40 when he converted a backhander in front off a nice crossing pass from Wiesner.

The hosts took their third lead of the game at 7:49 of the third with a power play goal when Williams tipped in a shot from the point by Becker. Kramer potted his first goal of the game on a Beaver power play at 9:43 to deadlock the score again, putting in a rebound after Albano made a stop on a shot by Holland.

After a face-off in the Norwich zone with less than a minute remaining, senior Mike Egan (Billerica, Mass.) sent a puck towards the net for Babson. Albano came out to make the save, but Kramer collected the rebound and worked his way around Albano and deposited the puck into the net for the game-winner. Kramer finished off his hat trick with an empty netter from the faceoff circle in his own zone with 26 seconds remaining.

Babson finished with a 30-21 advantage in shots, including 23-14 after the first period. Both teams scored twice on the power play, Babson on three attempts and Norwich on four opportunities.

Babson has a four-week break for final exams and the holidays before returning to action on Friday, December 31, against Trinity at the Babson Skating Center. Norwich has one more game before its break, visiting rival Plattsburgh State for a non-conference match-up on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• Babson is 26-45-7 all-time against Norwich in a series that dates back to the 1975-76 campaign, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Cadets.
• The victory was Babson's first at Kreitzberg Arena since upsetting the Cadets, 2-1, on March 8, 2014, in the ECAC East Championship game.
• The Beavers are now 7-1-1 this season when scoring at least three goals, and 30-2-1 since the start of the 2019-20 season with at least three goals.
• Kramer's hat trick was the first for Babson since Patrick Flynn '21 in an 11-2 win over Johnson & Wales on February 8, 2020.
• Kramer has at least one point in four of the last five games, scoring five goals and adding three assists in that span.