BOSTON, Mass.—For the third-straight year, #6/6 UMass Boston men's hockey and #11/13 Babson College will be facing-off in the ECAC East Semifinals. This year's meeting will be played at the Beacons Ice Arena on Saturday February 28 at 4pm, after the past two meeting occurred at Norwich's Kreitzberg Arena and at the Babson Skating Center.
GAME INFORMATION
Live Stats / Video
ALL-TIME SERIES
Third-seeded Babson leads the second-seeded Beacons 36-13-6 all-time, with the Beavers also holding a 6-2 advantage in postseason games. The two teams will be facing-off for the sixth time in eight years in the ECAC East Tournament, with Babson holding a 4-1 advantage.
Two-years ago, the third-seeded Beavers scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime, before Ryan Smith lifted Babson to a 4-3 overtime win. In last year's semifinals, UMass Boston led 1-0 and 2-1, only to have the Beavers score two third-period goals to earn a 4-2 victory.
In this year's regular season, the two teams split, with both teams earning the win on their home ice. Babson rushed out to a 4-0 lead 27:33 into the first contest, before the Beacons got goals from Stephen Buco (North Providence, R.I.) and Colin Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) to cut the final deficit to 4-2.
In the second half of the home-and-home series, UMass Boston rallied from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits to earn a 4-3 overtime victory. Larkin scored the game-tying goal 7:05 into the third and added the game-winning goal 1:47 into the extra session, while junior Billy Faust (Alta Loma, Calif.) made a season-high 41 stops.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
The two-time defending champion Beavers are looking to earn their third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, after defeating top-seeded Norwich University in each of the past two ECAC East Tournament Title Games.
This year's Beavers squad opened the year 11-0-0, before struggling through the second half with a 7-5-3 record. Backed by All-American goalie Jamie Murray, the Beavers scoring defense is ranked third in the nation at 1.65 goals per game, behind only Norwich (1.38) and the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). (1.56).
While Murray's numbers have been phenomenal once again (18-5-3, 1.62 GAA, .940 Save %, six shutouts), the team has struggled defensively since the middle of January. The Beavers have allowed 2.41 goals per game over their past 12 contests and have allowed three goals or more in five contests, after giving up just 11 total goals in their first 14 games of the season (0.78 goals against per game). In two games against the Beacons this season, Murray went 1-1 with 2.98 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
Joining Murray on the First Team All-Conference squad was junior defenseman Mike Vollmin. Vollmin leads all ECAC East blue-liners with 18 assists and 22 total points.
The team has tons of offensive firepower up front as well, with Bill Seligman (15 goals and eight assists) and Michael Phillips (10 points and 12 assists) both join Vollmin with 20-plus points. Seligman was especially effective against UMass Boston this season, with the sophomore scoring three goals and adding two assists in the two regular-season contests.
One area in which the Beavers have excelled all season long, has been the team's power-play. Babson leads the conference with their 25.2 percent (27-of-107) power-play rate and they went 3-for-8 (37.5 percent) against UMass Boston.
SCOUTING THE BEACONS
No team in New England is hotter than second-seeded UMass Boston right now, as the Beacons' come into this weekend's play with the second-longest winning streak in Division III at eight games.
The Beacons took care of business last weekend, with an 11-1 rout of seventh-seeded Skidmore College to help the program earn a playoff win for a record third-straight season. Juniors Jeremy Finger (Orlando, Fla.) and Frankie DeAugustine (Pittsburgh, Pa.) each finished with two goals and three assists, while freshman Josh Haverstrom (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Buco also added two goals apiece.
With their 11-goal outburst, UMass Boston moved back into the number-one slot for scoring offense in the nation, as the Beacons have scored 127 goals in 26 games (4.88 goals per game). Buco has been the biggest cog in UMass Boston's high-powered offense, as the senior first-line center ranks first in the nation with his 32 assists and 48 points and ranks second with his (1.87 points per game).
The offense has been extremely well balanced over their eight-game winning streak, as UMass Boston has had six different players record two-goal games in their past three contests, including DeAugustin-who has accomplished the feat twice. Over the course of their eight-game winning streak, UMass Boston has outscored their opponents 37-19, with the Beacons posting 25 of their 37 goals in four home games.
UMass Boston wouldn't be enjoying the kind of success they're having without the strong play of Faust. Since entering into the lineup in the second period against Babson on January 23, the junior has gone 8-0-0 in nine appearances with a 2.33 goals against average and a .959 save percentage.
While the Beacons' power-play hasn't been firing on all cylinders quite as well as Babson's, the Beacons combined special teams' rank fourth in the nation (55.8 percent), 10 spots ahead of the Beavers.
STAT TO KNOW: In the last four postseason matchups between these squads, dating back to the 2008 ECAC East Quarterfinals, the winning team has scored exactly four goals.
