(Release courtesy Babson Sports Information)

BABSON PARK, Mass. – Host Babson College and visiting Norwich University battle through 65 minutes of furiously-paced action to finish in a 2-2 tie in a clash of nationally-ranked ECAC East rivals at the Babson Skating Center on Friday night.

With the deadlock, Babson is now 13-6-5 overall and 9-5-3 in league play, while Norwich moves to 20-2-1 overall and 15-1-1 in the ECAC East.

The Babson defense was magnificent in the opening period, holding the powerful Norwich offense to just one shot on net in the first 11 minutes and only three in the session. The Cadets' most dangerous chance came when freshman Dean Niezgoda (Brewster, Mass.) raced down the right side and blasted an open slapper on senior captain Zeke Testa (Wellesley, Mass.), but the veteran goalie snagged it with a nice glove save on what was the visitors' first shot of the game at 7:46. Testa later made another nice stop at 13:45, this time a with kick save on a snapshot from the right circle by sophomore Gerard McEleney (Canton, Mass.).

The Beavers broke the scoreless ties during the first powerplay of the night for either side, as sophomore Mike Driscoll (Milton, Mass.) scored his eighth goal of the season on the man-advantage at 16:07 of the first. Sophomore Andrew Bonazza (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) sent the puck to junior Nik Tasiopoulos (Norwell, Mass.), who rushed in on Cadet goalie Chris Czarnota (Wakefield, Mass.) from the left side. A check by a Norwich defenseman dislodged the puck and sent it across the crease, where Driscoll swept in from the right circle and one-timed it past Czarnota for the game's first goal.

Neither team scored in the second period, with Norwich holding a slim 6-5 edge in shots on goal. The biggest threat for either team came with a minute left in the session, beginning when Cadet sophomore Bryce Currier (Essex Junction, Vt.) fired a shot from the left point that was saved by Testa. The rebound then trickled into the wide-open slot, but the sprawling net-minder was able to cover it before anyone could get a stick on it to keep the visitors off the board.

The Cadets finally pulled even with its first powerplay goal at 6:03 of the third, beginning when senior Tory Allan (Davidson, Saskatchewan) took a pass from classmate Pier-Olivier Cotnoir (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) and fired a shot from the high slot. Testa made the initial save, but Norwich junior Travis Janke (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) was able to put home the rebound with a diving backhand from the left side of the crease to even the contest at a goal apiece.

The Beavers scored yet another powerplay goal to regain the advantage midway through the third, as first-year Jared Wiedemann (Pembroke, Mass.) took a short feed from junior Ben Kravitz (Huntington, N.Y.) and blasted a slapshot from just inside the blue line that whistled past Czarnota at 11:11. It was the rookie's first collegiate goal, with senior PT Donato (Arlington, Mass.) picking up the second assist on the play.

Norwich answered less than two minutes later, when Allan stole the puck along the right boards and sent it across the ice to senior Colin Mulvey (Worcester, Mass.) on the left wing. Mulvey's first shot attempt was blocked by Babson senior Jay Haseley (Rochester, N.Y.), but the Cadet forward collected the rebound and muscled it through for the game-tying goal at 13:04.

That would be all the offense either team would muster, as both goalies came up big down the stretch. Czarnota made big back-to-back denials on consecutive shots by Bonazza and Haseley at 14:25, while Testa made a fantastic kick save on a blast by first-year Ryan Whitell (Calgary, Ablerta) at 18:25 and then tipped an open shot by senior Blake Forkey (Boca Raton, Fla.) just over the crossbar at 19:24. Each goalie would follow with one stop in the scoreless overtime, as Czarnota turned away a shot from the right circle by junior Matt O'Neill (Norwell, Mass.) at 2:00 and Testa did the same on a wrister from the slot by Mulvey at 4:18.