BABSON PARK, Mass. – Babson College notched its third consecutive victory with an impressive 6-2 victory over regional power Curry College in a non-conference men’s ice hockey contest at the Babson Skating Center on Tuesday night. With the win, the Beavers improved to 9-7-1 on the season, while the Colonels fell to 11-5-1.
Babson opened the scoring in the closing minutes of the first period, when first-year Matt Leer (Edina, Minn.) put back a rebound of sophomore Mike Hoban’s (Medfield, Mass.) shot from the slot for his first collegiate goal at 18:47.
The Beavers added another score early in the second session, as Hoban took a beautiful centering pass from first-year Ryan Smith (Lynnfield, Mass.) on the left side and potted his second of the season on a powerplay at 1:48. The Colonels then had an excellent opportunity to get one back when overlapping Babson penalties gave the visitors a 45-second two-man advantage later in the second, but the Beavers’ defense snuffed out both chances to maintain their lead.
Babson tacked on another goal near the end of the second, as junior Terry Woods (Duxbury, Mass.) corralled the puck in the slot and fired a low shot past senior goalie Zachary Cardella at 18:10. It was Woods’ team-leading 11th goal of the season, and his sixth in his last three contests.
Curry finally got on the board during a 4-on-4 early in the third period. Sophomore Jonathan Millershot from the blue line was deflected by a defender, but sophomore Ryan Barlock gathered the rebound in the right circle and lifted a shot into the upper right corner for his third of the year at 0:17. However, Babson answered at 5:07 of the third, as senior Liam Chatterton (Staten Island, N.Y.) fired a slapper from the blue line that glanced off the post and in for his second of the winter, making it 4-1 in favor of the hosts.
Chatterton tacked on another goal less than two minutes later, when he blocked a shot and took the rebound the length of the ice for an unassisted shorthanded tally at 6:43. The two teams would exchange goals in the final five minutes – Smith netted his third at 15:18 and Curry sophomore Steven Mohler scored his eighth at 16:28 – as Babson claimed the eventual 6-2 victory.
Hoban led Babson with a goal and three assists for four points, while Chatterton finished with two scores and one assist for three points. First-year Zeke Testa (Wellesley, Mass.) played the entire game in net for the Beavers, making 14 saves, while Cardella and first-year Robert Dawsonsplit time in goal for Curry. Cardella made 17 saves in 46:43, while Dawson stopped seven shots in 13:17.
