BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Skidmore College men's hockey team fell to Babson in the 2022 New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Championship, 5-3.
 
Skidmore's historic season ends after its first appearance in a title game. The Thoroughbreds, underdogs in all three of their playoff games, previously won road games at three seed UMass Boston and top-seeded Hobart. Skidmore finishes with an overall record of 16-10-2.
 
Babson, ranked sixth nationally, earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Beavers will likely host a First Round game next weekend. It is Babson's eighth conference title and first since the inception of the NEHC. Babson will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 (qualified in 2020, tournament canceled).  
 
Mike Gelatt scored twice for the Thoroughbreds. Everett Wardle scored the other and had an assist. Tate Brandon wrapped up his superb sophomore season in goal for Skidmore by making 38, many acrobatic, saves. Over three playoff games, Brandon racked up 109 saves.  
 
Gelatt and Austin Rook represented the Thoroughbreds on the All-Tournament Team. Ryan Black earned Most Valuable Player honors for Babson. Brad Arvanitis and Mike Egan joined Black on the All-Tournament Team.
 
Rory Casey scored twice for the Beavers. All three of his season goals came against Skidmore. Black, Egan, and Wyatt George all scored once for Babson. Arvanitis finished with 23 saves.
 
Skidmore went ahead at the 4:15 mark of the opening period when Gelatt fired a shot from the right faceoff dot that stayed inside the left post. Danny Magnuson and Kaeden Patrick assisted. Babson got the equalizer, George from Cam Schmitt and Paul Boutoussov, just 15 seconds elapsed on its first power play. The Beavers took the lead with 2:07 remaining in the first when Casey took advantage of a Skidmore turnover and scored on a breakaway.
 
Egan made it 3-1 Babson from Cole Sanderson and Black 2:16 into the second period on a rebound. Gelatt got his second to bring Skidmore back to within one on a tip after Wardle won a clean faceoff back to Matthew Monk on the point.
 
Babson regained its two-goal lead exactly two minutes later when Black converted on a short breakaway. Wardle cleaned up a loose puck in front to make it 4-3 Babson early in the third period on the power play. Babson one last time answered promptly, as Casey added insurance from Matt Cormier at 4:35 of the third on a breakaway after a blocked shot in the other end gave the Beavers a fortuitous bounce. Skidmore was unable to mount another comeback bid.
 
Both teams went 1-for-4 on the power play. Shots finished 43-26 Babson, and Skidmore had the slight faceoff advantage, 36-33.