SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's hockey team dominated Johnson & Wales from start to finish and picked up a 6-0 win in Friday's penultimate contest of the regular season.
 
Skidmore (14-9-1, 9-7-1 – 28 pts NEHC) closes the regular season Saturday at 4 p.m. versus UMass Boston. The Thoroughbreds assured a spot in the top six, thus avoiding the opening round. Skidmore can move past Norwich with a win and a Cadet loss or tie against Hobart on Saturday. Babson's 4-1 win over Southern Maine clipped Skidmore's outside chance to slide into the top four and host a quarterfinal game.
 
With the 14^th win of the year, the Skidmore has reached its highest win total since the 2006-07 team had a 16-8-2 record.
 
Austin Rook scored and was one of four Thoroughbreds with two assists to finish with three points on the evening. Jaden York scored twice, while Zach Frisk, Everett Wardle, and Freddie Macciocchi all notched one goal. Rook, Mike Gelatt, Joe Biddle, and Will Dow-Kenny scooped up a pair of assists each.
 
Danny Magnuson, Nick Cozzi, Mason Beecher, and Callahan Johnson all pitched in with a helper.
 
Tate Brandon extended his single-season program record with his fifth shutout of the year. He made 17 saves. Jaxon Friedman had 53 saves for Johnson & Wales (4-20, 2-15 – 5 pts NEHC). The Wildcats close on Saturday at Castleton.
 
Skidmore led 1-0 after the first on a Wardle power-play goal at 6:33 from Gelatt and Rook. York tapped in a feed from Biddle on a shorthanded rush, after Beecher won the opening faceoff of the second period, to put Skidmore ahead 2-0 just nine seconds elapsed in the period. Rook scored on a bleeder 2:10 later to make it 3-0 on the power play from Dow-Kenny and Gelatt. Frisk closed Skidmore's three-goal second period with 1:20 left from Dow-Kenny and Rook.
 
The Thoroughbreds scored 14 seconds apart at the 3:07 and 3:21 mark of the third period to complete the scoring. York got his second from Magnuson and Cozzi before Macciocchi joined the party with a tip from Biddle and Johnson.
 
Skidmore outshot JWU, 59-17, went 40-27 in the faceoff circle, and scored twice on four power play opportunities. The Wildcats went 0-for-4 with the man advantage. Skidmore outscored JWU, 11-0, in the two meetings this season.
 
Skidmore's quarterfinal opponent will be determined on Saturday.