BABSON HOCKEY BEATS UMASS-BOSTON IN OVERTIME TO WIN ECAC EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

BOX SCORE

HENNIKER, N.H. -- Senior co-captain Brad Baldelli (Northboro, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal at 14:24 of the first overtime session to lift the seventh-seeded Babson College Beavers to a thrilling 4-3 victory over eighth-seeded UMass-Boston in an historic ECAC East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament Championship Game at New England College on Saturday afternoon.  

With the victory, which came in the league's first-ever final between a seventh and eighth seed, Babson (13-13-1) won its fourth conference championship and earned the program's 14th bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Beavers will learn the identity of their first round opponent when the official tournament field is announced on Sunday night.  

For UMass-Boston (10-16-2), the loss marked the end of its spectacular postseason run which featured wins over top-seeded Norwich and fourth-seeded New England College.  

After netting two goals in Friday's 3-2 semifinal win over Skidmore, Babson junior Jason Schneider (Littleton, Mass.) tacked on an assist in the championship game to earn ECAC East Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Baldelli, senior Alex DiPietro (Winthrop, Mass.), and sophomore Terry Woods (Duxbury, Mass.), as well as UMass-Boston sophomore Eric Tuftman (Abington, Pa.), freshman Wayne Sands (Chalfant, Pa.), and junior goalie Ryan Donovan (Rexford, N.Y.).

Neither team led by more than a goal in the contest, which was tied heading into all three intermissions. Babson opened the scoring at 12:54 of the first period, when freshman Mike Hoban (Medfield, Mass.) dug the puck out of the right junior corner and found junior Shane Farrell (West Warwick, R.I.) wide open in the slot. The veteran forward then one-timed his seventh goal of the season past Donovan for the game's first goal. Senior Pat McLaughlin (Berlin, Mass.) also added an assist on the play.  

UMass-Boston evened the contest with a powerplay goal later in the first, when sophomore Matt Atsoff (Macomb, Mich.) put back a rebound of sophomore Eric Tufman's (Abington, Pa.) shot out of scramble in front of the net at 14:23.

Babson regained the lead with a powerplay goal of its own in the second. Just moments after taking a huge hit in his own defensive zone, DiPietro responded by ripping a one-time laser from the left point inside the near post off a pass from junior Casey Fazekas (Montreal, Quebec) at 8:09. However, despite being outshot by the Beavers, 18-6 in the period, the Beacons once again knotted the score when sophomore Vinnie Jacona (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) converted a centering pass from the right wing by first-year Bryan Albert (Redlands, Calif.) on a 2-on-1 breakaway with just 44.6 seconds remaining in the period.  

The Beavers once again moved in front with just seven seconds remaining on a powerplay at 13:18 of the third, beginning when junior Gabriel Chenard-Poirier (St. Augustin, Quebec) hit a slapper from the blue line that was saved by Donovan. The rebound then trickled out to the right side of the crease, where Woods lifted it over the sprawling goaltender and into the upper left corner with 6:42 left in regulation.

UMass-Boston tied the game again with 1:47 to go, as freshman Jeff Van Siclen (Alamo, Calif.) scored out of a scramble in front with just one second left on the Beacons' powerplay at 18:13. Tufman and junior Kris Kranzky (Glendora, Calif.) each recorded assists on the goal, which ultimately sent the contest into overtime.  

Both teams had great chances in the extra session, with both squads enjoying powerplay opporunities. However, Donovan and Babson freshman goalie Andrew Peabody (Marblehead, Mass.) each capped off magnificent performances in their respective nets by combining for 15 saves in the period. Donavan finished the contest with 43 total saves for the Beacons, while Peabody answered with 27 stops in the first conference final of his collegiate career for Babson.  

The Beavers finally secured the win with just under six minutes remaining in overtime, as senior JT Balben (Wayland, Mass.) outbattled two Beacon defenders for the puck behind the UMass-Boston net. He then backhanded a perfect pass into the slot, where a wide-open Baldelli collected it and fired a wrister into the upper left corner for the game-winning goal. That gave Babson it's fourth conference championship and its second in the last three years. 

The game-winner also marked a huge milestone for Baldelli, as the Beavers' co-captain and two-time Joe Concannon Award Semifinalist became just the 19th player in the history of the history to reach the 100-career point mark.  

2009 ECAC EAST ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Jason Schneider, Babson College, F - Most Outstanding Player
F - Eric Tufman, UMass-Boston
F - Terry Woods, Babson
F - Brad Baldelli, Babson
D - Wayn Sands, UMass-Boston
D - Alex DiPietro, Babson
G - Ryan Donovan, UMass-Boston