SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College hockey team is home this weekend for a pair of New England Hockey Conference contests. The Thoroughbreds host defending NEHC champion and #7 Babson College Friday night at 7 p.m. and the University of Southern Maine on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Friday night is the annual Pack the Rink event. There will be free t-shirts to the first 150 fans who bring a canned good. In addition: free admission, giveaways, tricycle races, and more. There will be a free fan bus leaving Case Center at 6:30 p.m.
 
Skidmore is off to a 5-2 overall and 1-1 NEHC start. A balanced scoring sheet is led by Evertt Wardle who has three goals and five assists for eight points. Devon Mussio (1-6-7), Thomas Finck (4-2-6), Danny Magnuson (0-6-6), Kaeden Patrick (4-1-5) and Zach Lindewirth (3-2-5) round out the top scorers. Goalie Tate Brandon is 3-2 with a 2.79 goals against average and .915 save percentage. Blaine Moore is 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .961 save%.
 
The Thoroughbreds are ranked second in NCAA III power-play percentage at .417 and 15^th in penalty killing (.931).
 
Babson has won three straight for a 4-1 overall and 3-1 conference record. Andrew Holland (4-1-5), Will Holland (0-5-5) and Egan Schmitt (3-2-5) lead the Beavers in scoring. Nolan Hildebrand (3-0, 1.63, .948) and Nate Mueller (1-1, 3.51, .900) have split time in net.
 
USM has struggled out of the gate with a 1-4 overall and 1-3 NEHC record. Curtis Judd leads the Huskies in scoring with a goal and four assists. In five games, 10 different players have scored the team's 10 goals. Kyle Penton (1-2, 1.35, .964) and Mason Palmer (0-2, 5.42, .864) are the USM goalies.