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Men's Hockey: Purple Knights Fall 4-3 in Overtime to Babson

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Created on Sunday, 15 January 2012 04:08

Written by George Commo

St. Mike's Beaten Despite 40 Saves From Dizgun

Courtesy St. Michael's Sports Information

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Babson College senior Mike Hoban (Medfield, Mass./Saint Sebastian's) scored with 1:19 remaining in overtime as the Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team fell, 4-3, at the Babson Skating Center in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East contest. The Purple Knights drop to 3-8-2 overall and 1-6-1 in the league, while the Beavers are 4-11 and 4-4.

Junior Rich Rodeschini (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Canterbury School) scored his first goal of the season for Saint Michael's, while classmate Tim McAuliffe (North Reading, Mass./Vermont Academy) and freshman A.J. Pieprzak (Barrie, Ontario/Ridley College) finished off the scoring. Junior Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec/OCN Blizzard) finished with 40 saves, including 15 in the third period.

Sophomores Tom Callahan (Lakeville, Mass./Boston Advantage), Ryan Heavey (Andover, Mass./Choate Rosemary Hall) and Troy Starrett (Bellingham, Mass./Catholic Memorial) each tallied one goal for the Beavers, while senior Andrew Peabody (Marblehead, Mass./Saint Paul's School) finished with 21 saves.

Saint Michael's earned an overtime power play but went scoreless, and Hoban responded 1:01 after it elapsed with the winner, at 3:41.

Dizgun made 13 saves during a scoreless opening period for both teams before Rodeschini scored just 15 seconds into the second. Juniors Michael Jangro (Reading, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors) and Connor Logan (Shelburne, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) and picked up assists.

Heavey and Starrett scored 5:01 apart to give Babson the lead at 10:14 but, after hitting a post earlier in the period, Pieprzak tallied on the power play at 11:50. Senior Brady Earle (Columbia, Md./The Gunnery) and junior Petr Soustal (Unicov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Unicov) earned the assists on the goal. McAuliffe gave Saint Michael's a one-goal edge heading into the final frame when he scored an unassisted goal with just 53 seconds left.

The Purple Knights were able to keep the Beavers off the board for the first 14 minutes of the third period thanks in part to the efforts of Dizgun, who stopped 13 shots during that time. Callahan tied the game at three when he scored at 14:13, but neither team was able to break the tie, as they headed into sudden-death overtime.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Friday when it hosts No. 1 Norwich University at 7 p.m. The Cadets are the top-ranked team in Division III according to U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO).