BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team kicked off a three-game stretch versus nationally-ranked opponents with a 5-1 loss at No. 4 Babson College in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action at the Babson Skating Center on Friday. The Purple Knights are 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the NEHC, while the Beavers, last year's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East runners-up, are 8-1-1 and 5-0. Babson's ranking is according to this week's U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.

Saint Michael's sophomore Eric Salzillo (Johnston, R.I./Boston Bandits) scored and was 6-of-12 on faceoffs. First-year Jack Ouellette (Arlington, Mass./Dexter School) chipped in an assist. Senior Nick Potter (Stoneham, Mass./The Brooks School) won 11 faceoffs and first-year Sam D'Antuono (Hingham, Mass./Dexter School) won nine draws. First-year Chris Johnson (Duxbury, Mass./Pomfret School) made 31 saves for his third 30-save outing of the season.

Babson sophomore Matt McMorrow scored twice and had one assist, while junior Michael Phillips and sophomore Rob Devaney both posted one goal and one assist and junior Tim Searles registered one goal. Sophomore Jake Donahoe provided two assists. Senior Jamie Murray stopped 25 shots for the win.

Babson needed just 2:28 to net the game's first goal as Munichiello fed to Devany, who scored his fourth goal of the season. The Purple Knights then clicked off four shots over the next 3:30, but Murray denied each chance as part of his 10-save opening period. The hosts nearly extended their lead just past midway of the stanza as Donahoe and junior Dan Casey both rang shots off the post less than three minutes apart. Babson then killed off a late penalty as Ouellette and juniors Danny Divis (Media, Pa./Minnesota Wilderness) and Stephen Inman (Coventry, R.I./Odessa Jackalopes) were all turned away by Murray on the power-play chance as the hosts took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Saint Michael's first-years Colin Biebel (Roxborough Park, Colo./Walpole Express) and Nic Hermary (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Melfort Mustangs) started the second period with shots stopped by Murray. After skating 4-on-4 just past midway through the period, the Purple Knights drew a penalty, setting up the Beavers with their second power play of the game. The hosts then clicked off a pair of power-play tallies just 1:19 apart. On the first man-advantage goal, Phillips scored at 15:52 before McMorrow found the back of the net at 17:11 to give Babson a 3-0 lead. Salzillo accounted for the Purple Knights' last shot of the stanza.

Two more Babson goals, coming at 3:49 from Searles and at 17:27 from McMorrow, stretched the margin to 5-0. Babson senior Mike Vollmin and sophomore Bobby Hall both hit the pipe midway through the period before Devaney's shot with less than one minute left clanged off the iron. Salzillo put the hosts on the board when he buried a 4-on-3 marker just under the crossbar with only 16 seconds remaining. 

Saint Michael's continues its stretch against nationally-ranked opponents on Saturday when the Purple Knights head to the University of Massachusetts at Boston for a 4 p.m. contest. UMass Boston is ninth in this week's USCHO national poll.