Skidmore (7-8-2, 6-3-1 NEHC) at UMass Boston (9-6-2, 4-5-1 NEHC)
Game Details: Friday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m.
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Saratoga City Rink (Weibel Arena)
Game Links: Stats | Video
Skidmore: Roster | Stats
UMass Boston: Roster | Stats
 
Skidmore (7-8-2, 6-3-1 NEHC) at Babson (9-7-1, 6-4 NEHC)
Game Details: Saturday, Jan. 21 | 4 p.m.
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Saratoga City Rink (Weibel Arena)
Game Links: Stats | Video
Skidmore: Roster | Stats
Babson: Roster | Stats
 
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's hockey team returns home for a pair of games in New England Hockey Conference play this weekend. The Thoroughbreds host UMass Boston on Friday at 7 p.m. and end the weekend against Babson on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
The Thoroughbreds come into the weekend with a 7-8-2 mark overall, but sit in third place with a 6-3-1 record in the league standings. They are one point behind New England College with 13 points, with a game in hand. They also sit one point ahead of Babson and Castleton, and four points ahead of UMass Boston.
 
Skidmore sits in third in scoring offense in league play, averaging 3.5 goals per game. The team sports three double-digit scores, senior Anthony Bird (8-5-13), sophomore Corey Morgan (4-8-12), and senior Marc Cibelli (2-9-11). Bird leads the team in goals, while Cibelli leads the team in assists. Cibelli, freshman Owen Campbell (7-2-9), senior Connor Van Arnam (3-4-7), and junior Connor Pelkey (2-1-3) each have two power play goals to lead the Thoroughbreds.
 
Senior Jack McDonald and freshman Brandon Kasel have split time in net, combining for a 2.77 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
 
UMass Boston comes into the weekend with a 9-6-2 record overall, sitting in sixth place in the league standings with a 4-5-1 mark. The Beacons have alternated wins and losses over the past six games, most recently splitting a pair of games against travel partner Babson, defeating the Beavers 5-1 last Thurday at the Frozen Fenway event at Fenway Park, before falling to the Beavers at home 4-2 on Saturday.
 
The Beacons are led by Collin Larkin (16-12-28), who leads the team in goals and points. Tyler Bishop (3-19-22) leads the way in assists, and Ryan Cusin (11-16-27) leads all NEHC freshmen in goals, assists, and points. Rookie netminder Jordan Bustard has started most of the games in net for UMass Boston, sporting a 2.44 goals against average and a .899 save percentage in 13 games.
 
The last time the teams met was on Nov. 12 in Boston, Mass. The Thoroughbreds scored three-third period goals to upset the then- No. 2 ranked Beacons 4-2. Bird completed the hat trick, including two shorthanded goals in the third period.
 
Babson comes into the weekend with a 9-7-1 record and a 6-4 mark in NEHC play. Babson will head to Castleton on Friday before coming east to Saratoga Springs on Saturday.
 
The Beavers snapped a two-game skid by scoring four unanswered goals to defeat travel partner UMass Boston, 4-2, last Saturday. Tommy Munichiello (7-8-15) leads the team in scoring and goals, Michael Phillips (3-10-13) leads the squad in assists, and Charlie Ackerman (6-4-10) has scored three times on the power play and is tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals. Goalies Bryan Botcher and Matt Pompa have combined to post a 2.28 goals against average to go along with a .925 save percentage.
 
The last time the teams faced was on Nov. 11. Van Arnam got the game started for the Thoroughbreds with a power-play goal, but Babson scored two unanswered goals to pick up the 2-1 victory.