SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—Freshmen accounted for all four Skidmore goals and the shutout in a 4-0 NEHC win over St. Anselm, Saturday evening at the Saratoga Springs City Rink.
 
The Thoroughbreds (2-1, 2-0 NEHC) are off to a 2-0 league start for the first time since 2013-14 season and one of only two unbeaten teams left in the NEHC that features three nationally ranked teams.
 
Rookie goalie Brandon Kasel turned away all 28 shots he faced for a shutout in his first collegiate start.
 
Sticking to the first theme, all four Skidmore goals were first career markers. Freshmen Matt Wolf, Andrew Popp, Matt Bernot, and Jack Barton all notched their first collegiate tallies.
 
Wolf opened the scoring at 7:09 of the first period from Marc Cibelli and Connor Van Arnam. His shot from a tough angle along the goal line, rattled off St. Anselm goalie Colin Soucy for a 1-0 lead.  Popp upped the lead to 2-0 when he buried a Mickey Foley pass from behind the net at 16:56. Corey Morgan had the second assist.
 
There was no scoring in the second period, with the Hawks brining Shane Joyce in to play goal.
 
Bernot made it 3-0 at 6:26 of the third from Morgan and Quincey Gregg.  Jack Barton scored on a breakaway at 17:24 from Adam Moodie and Foley for the 4-0 final.
 
St. Anselm outshot Skidmore 28-22. Kasel had 11 saves in the first and 10 in the second before a "light" load of seven saves in the third period. Soucey had three saves in the first period, while Joyce had 15 saves over the final 40:00.
 
Skidmore travels to Babson (Nov. 11) and UMASS Boston (Nov. 12) for a pair of NEHC games next weekend.