Seventh Seed Southern Maine Stuns Babson 3-2

            BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Senior goalie Paul Léger (Blainville, Quebec) stopped 37 shots to backstop the seventh-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies to a stunning, 3-2 upset win over the second-seeded Babson College Beavers Saturday night in a quarterfinal round game of the 2020 New England Hockey Conference Men's Championship Tournament at the Babson Skating Center.

            The victory advances the Huskies, 8-15-3 overall, into a semifinal game next Saturday (February 29) against top-seeded Norwich University.  Norwich earned the right to host a semifinal game by beating eighth-seeded Castleton University 9-0.  The Huskies also snapped an 18-game losing streak at the hands of the Beavers that dated back to February 2012.  The Beavers fall to 18-6-2 and will wait two weeks to see if they get one of the four at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

            Léger was brilliant throughout the game carrying shutout into the final five minutes.  The fourth-year goaltender made 19 saves in the second period, and had 13 more in the third period.

            Southern Maine built a 3-0 lead with single goals in each period.  Junior Adam Papayoanou (Valencia, Calif.) tallied an unassisted goal at 2:10 of the first period to give the visitors a 1-0.  Senior Cody Braga (Middleboro, Mass.) scored his seventh goal of the season, off an assist from classmate Ethan Bassile (Scarborough, Maine), at 14:27 of the middle period.  Junior Michael Green (Baie d'Urfa, Quebec) netted what proved to be the game-winning goal at 10:18 of the third period, converting a pass from senior Brock Padgham (Chilliwack, B.C.).

            Babson, ranked eighth in the nation in this week's USCHO.com Division III poll, staged a furious comeback over the final five minutes.  Sophomore Ryan Black (Pomfret, Conn.) scored a power-play goal at 15:55 to break up Léger's shutout bid.  Classmate Mike Egan (Billerica, Mass.) tacked on a second goal with two seconds remaining in regulation to cut the margin to one.

            Babson finished the game with a 39-19 advantage in shots on goal.  Junior goalie Brad Arvanitis (Holliston, Mass.) made 16 saves in a losing effort.

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