BABSON PARK, Mass.—No. 13 Skidmore College erupted for five third-period goals to rally for a 5-2 win over Babson College in a battle of New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) men's ice hockey unbeatens on Saturday afternoon inside the Babson Skating Center. 

Babson falls to 6-5-2 overall and 5-1-1 in league play with the loss, while Skidmore improves to 9-0-2 overall and 5-0-1 in the NEHC on the year. 

Junior Wyatt George (Mount Lebanon, Pa.) and sophomore Egan Schmitt (Schuylerville, N.Y.) each had a goal, while sophomores Will Holland (Charlotte, N.C.) and Nolan Dion (Marshfield, Mass.) and first-year Jimmy Fallon (Milton, Mass.) each produced an assist for the Beavers. Sophomore Nate Mueller (Rogers, Minn.) made 26 saves in the loss. 

Junior Kaeden Patrick (Vancouver, British Columbia) finished with two goals and an assist, senior Everett Wardle (Hewlett, N.Y.) added a goal and an assist and junior Danny Magnuson (Sunfish Lake, Minn.) and sophomore Connor Wood (St. Albans, Vt.) each scored once for the Thoroughbreds. Senior goaltender Tate Brandon (Irvington, N.Y.) stopped 26 shots to improve to 9-0-1 on the season.

Skidmore killed off three penalties over the first 13-plush minutes and Mueller robbed sophomore Ryan Waltman (South Bend, Ind.) on a breakaway at the 8:30 mark of the first period to keep the game scoreless. Mueller made four saves and Babson blocked three shots to kill off a five-minute major that was called with 2:50 to go before the first intermission before going in front late in the second. 

Senior Grey Owens (Greenwich, Conn.) blocked a shot from the left point, Schmitt dug the puck out of the corner and fed Fallon on the left wing before redirecting his centering pass past Brandon in transition for his team-leading eighth goal at 14:44 of the second period. The Beavers killed off another penalty late in the middle stanza before the Thoroughbreds rallied with five third-period goals. 

Patrick tied the game at the 4:23 mark when he tipped home a shot by junior Stephen Perez (Bloomfield, N.J.) from along the left boards and then gave Skidmore a 2-1 advantage by redirecting Perez's blast from the high slot for his team-leading ninth goal at 7:12. Magnuson made it 3-1 when he scored from the right face-off circle on the power play at 14:41 and Wood deposited an empty netter at 18:11 for a 4-1 lead. 

George beat Brandon from the slot 33 seconds later to get Babson back within 4-2 but the Thoroughbreds answered right back at 19:16 when Wardle buried a feed from Patrick for the final margin. 

Both teams had six power play chances as the Beavers scored once while the Thoroughbreds converted twice. 

Babson is off until December 29 when it travels to South Burlington, Vt., to face Saint Michael's at 3 p.m., while Skidmore visits Geneseo next Friday at 7 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 38-8-3 all-time against the Thoroughbreds but have dropped two straight games in the series going back to last season. 
•    Babson is now 3-2 on the year when taking a lead to the third period. 
•    Schmitt extended his goal streak to three games and has six points over his late three outings. 
•    The Beavers are now 4-2 this year when scoring the first goal of the game.