MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm men's ice hockey team hosted the Babson College Beavers this evening in an ECAC East conference game.  The score was tied for over 57 minutes, but nine seconds into overtime, the Beavers scored the game-winner, to defeat the Hawks 2-1.  The win lifts the Beavers to 12-7-2 (9-5-1 ECAC East), while the Hawks fall to 9-8-1 (7-7-1 ECAC East).

After a scoreless first period, Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.) put the Hawks on the board at 1:17 in the second, converting a pass from Timothy King (Weymouth, Mass.) and Evan Gogonis (Northborough, Mass.).  The Hawks held onto their lead for just under three minutes, when Casey Fezekas netted a slap shot from near the blue line on a power play to tie the game at one.

Penalties plagued the Hawks through the rest of the period.  The team was at full strength for less than half the period, committing six penalties.  The Hawks' defense was successful on the penalty kill, allowing just the one goal on the Beavers' first power-play opportunity.  The Hawks even outlasted more than a minute at a two-man disadvantage without allowing a goal. 

The Beavers' defense, however, was equally strong, sending the game into overtime on a 1-1 tie.  Just nine seconds into the overtime period, Terry Woods took a quick shot from right in front of the net.  It was saved by Alex Wyse (Amherst, N.Y.), but Ryan Smith was ready for the rebound, as he knocked in the Beavers' second goal to give his team a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory.

Zeke Testa made 34 saves in the net for the Beavers, and Alex Wyse turned aside 32 shots.  While a win would have jumped the Hawks into a tie for second place, the Beavers hold on to sole custody of the spot, as the Hawks slip one more spot into fourth behind Castleton State, who defeated the University of New England, 9-1 this afternoon.

The Hawks return to action on Tuesday, February 9th, when they host the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen in a Northeast-10 Conference game at Sullivan Arena beginning at 7:00 pm.