BOSTON — Graduate student Johnny McElaney (Walpole, Mass.) scored a pair of goals and sophomore Joseph Kramer (Bridgewater, Mass.) collected a career-high three assists to help Babson College skate to a 4-2 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) men's ice hockey action on Friday night inside the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink.

Babson won its third straight Friday night game and improves to 12-9-1 overall and 10-7 in conference play while clinching a playoff berth. UMass Boston drops to 7-12-1 overall and 5-9-1 in the NEHC.

Junior Nate Mueller (Rogers, Minn.) made 35 saves, his second-highest total of the season, to earn the win in goal for the Beavers. Junior Ian Driscoll (Middleton, Mass.) had a goal and an assist, classmate Egan Schmitt (Schuylerville, N.Y.) scored one goal and sophomore CJ Beals (Chelmsford, Mass.), junior Brendan Kennedy (Georgetown, Ont.) and senior Brendan Murphy (Arlington, Mass.) chipped in with assists.

First-year Jacob Roberson (Jacksonville, Fla.) and senior Kolye Bankauskas (Coventry, R.I.) tallied goals for the Beacons, and sophomores Jakob Teply (Stamford, Conn.) and Jack Mortson (Detroit, Mich.), junior Jude Kurtas (Hillsborough, N.J.) and senior Ryan Leonard (Duxbury, Mass.) registered assists. Senior Tyler Bost (Mahwah, N.J.) finished with 30 saves in the setback.

Babson needed less than a minute after the opening face-off to get on the board. Capitalizing on a UMB turnover on the right side of the neutral zone, the Beavers created a 3-on-2; Kramer passed to Driscoll in the middle, who set up McElaney for a one-timer from the left circle, and McElaney beat the goalie inside the near post for a 1-0 lead just 56 seconds into the game.

Mueller made a key save late in the period to keep the Beacons scoreless, as Babson got caught in a bad line change and Roberson went in alone but was denied by the Babson goalie.

UMB pulled even less than two minutes into the second period when Teply circled from behind the net near the left post and slid a pass across the crease, where Roberson potted his second goal of the season at 1:46.

The Green and White had two golden opportunities to score early in the second period but Bost came up big for the Beacons. Kennedy and junior Ryan Murphy (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) both had grade-A shots from the slot after UMB miscues behind the net but neither could convert.

The Beavers scored back-to-back goals four minutes apart midway through the frame to take a two-goal advantage. Driscoll sent a pass from the top of the left circle looking for McElaney at right post, but the pass was deflected in front over the goalie's shoulder for Driscoll's seventh goal of season at 8:47. Kramer then got off a shot from right circle that went wide right, but McElaney collected puck behind the net and wrapped around goal past the left post and slid a shot between goalie's legs for his second goal of the game to make it 3-1 at 12:57.

The hosts pulled to within one goal with just over 12 minutes remaining in the third period as Bankauskas pounded home a goal at the right post after a pass from Kurtas at the left face-off dot. The Beacons pulled their goalie in the final minute for an extra skater but Babson sealed the win on an empty net goal by Schmitt on a shot from his own zone that went just inside the right post.

UMass Boston finished with a 37-34 advantage in shots on goal. Each team was whistled for just one penalty in the game and neither team was able to convert with the man advantage.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday in a rematch at 4 p.m. at the Barry Ice Rink.

GAME NOTES
• Babson has won four in a row and five of the last six against UMass Boston and is now 52-22-6 all-time against the Beacons in a series that dates back to the 1978-79 season.
• McElaney recorded his seventh career two-goal game and his first since February 10, 2024, when he helped Colby to a 4-1 win over Wesleyan.
• The Beavers are 9-2-1 this season when scoring at least three goals.