SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The nationally 13^th-ranked Skidmore College men's hockey team will play in its third consecutive NEHC Semifinal game after defeating UMass Boston, 5-1, in a Saturday quarterfinal match-up at the Saratoga City Rink.
 

• Skidmore (18-6-2), seeded third, will host fourth-seeded and eighth-ranked Elmira College next Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Saratoga City Rink. #1 Hobart will host Southern Maine, who upset #12 Norwich, in the other semifinal. The Soaring Eagles reached the semifinal against Skidmore with a 3-2 overtime win over Babson.
• Recent All-NEHC honorees Danny Magnuson (First Team) and Tate Brandon (Goaltender of the Year/First Team) starred for the Thoroughbreds.
• Magnuson scored twice for Skidmore, his ninth and 10^th goals, and Brandon came up big with 30 saves consisting of a myriad of sprawling stops, point-blank saves, and a breakaway stuff to keep the pesky Beacons at bay. His 40^th-career win ties the program record.
• Only a Kolye Bankauskas third-period goal at 11:04 of the third period from a short angle kept Brandon from his fifth shutout. The UMB goal made it 4-1. Skidmore won 5-1 after Everett Wardle scored in an empty netter from the neutral zone.
• Skidmore had the game's first eight shots on goal before the ice swung the other way as UMB had the next six. Skidmore got the contest's first goal with 1:10 left in the period. After a faceoff win by Mason Beecher, Magnuson wristed in a rebound before UMB goalie Sam Best could get back to the post.
• Skidmore's second and third goals were on special teams. Kevin Urquhart scored shorthanded to make it 2-0 on a rocket one-timer form the slot after Jaden York forced a turnover behind the Beacon net.
• Cooper Rice scored his eight of the year at 13:07 of the middle frame on the power play to make it 3- 0 Skidmore. Consecutive laser passes from Kaeden Patrick and Stephen Perez left Rice alone in the slot, who jammed in his own rebound.
• With 12:26 left in the third, Magnuson scored his second to make it 4-0. He dodged a hit behind the net before stepping out and roofing a forehand wrist shot. Ryan Waltman and Will Dow-Kenny had the assists.
• Skidmore finished with a 39-31 edge in shots on goal. Best had 34 saves for UMass Boston.
• Skidmore was 1-for-2 on the power play. UMB was 0-for-3 with seven shots and shorthanded goal allowed.
• The Thoroughbreds won 39-of-69 faceoffs. Wardle was 13-7, and Jacob Franczak was 10-7.
• Next week's game against Elmira will be a rematch of last year's first round game. Skidmore came from behind to win in overtime, 4-3.
• Skidmore's 18 wins is the most since the program won 20 in the 1994-95 season.