BABSON PARK, Mass.- The Norwich Men's Ice Hockey team continued their New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) road swing Friday night in a battle for positioning in the standings with longtime rival Babson, where the Beavers would emerge victorious on a late tally.

The home team dominated the opening minutes as Sami Molu (Toronto, On.) was put to the early test and he answered the bell, including an early close call where a goal was waved off. Halfway through the opening period, the Cadets claimed the territorial advantage for the first time and would break through. After losing a defensive zone faceoff, Owen Sclisizzi (Milton, On.) started a rush off a blocked shot springing Clark Kerner (Kansas City, Kan.) and Holden Doggett (Oakville, On.). After gaining the attacking zone, Kerner set up Doggett for the one-timer goal putting the Cadets ahead.

Early in the second period, Norwich went to the penalty box and a high-powered Babson power play would come away with the tying goal on their fourth shot of the man advantage. After the original shot from the left point got blocked down, the rebound came to Ian Driscoll at the right circle who sent a shot by Molu to tie the game. After the Cadets had their lone man advantage killed off, the two sides traded opportunities, but the game remained tied at intermission.

The back-and-forth struggle between the two rivals jockeying for position in the league continued into the third period, with the Beavers being the team to break through with Cam Joselin deflecting home a Raphael Marcoux shot for the eventual game-winner with 6:41 to play. Norwich pushed late for the tie, but Nate Muller and the rest of Babson would hold on for the win.

The Cadets and Beavers will round out their weekend series Sat. afternoon Feb. 1 at 4 PM.