Men's Ice Hockey | 11/29/2014 6:02:00 PM

Box Score Box l Updated stats
BABSON PARK, MA. -- Visiting Nazareth fell to sixth-ranked Babson 5-2 in a non-conference hockey game on Saturday afternoon. After the Golden Flyers defense held the potent Beavers to one goal in the opening two periods, Babson scored four times in the third period to pull away. An empty-net goal in the final minute secured the Beavers' victory. Sophomore Marcus Moles and junior Packy Jones scored for the Golden Flyers.

Following the loss, Nazareth slips to 4-3-1 overall. With the victory, Babson remains undefeated and improves to 7-0 overall. The loss snaps the Golden Flyers' two-game winning streak. The Beavers, meanwhile, have outscored their opposition 35-5 this season. Saturday's game was the first time this season Babson has given up more than one goal. It was the first meeting between Nazareth and Babson.

The Beavers' Charlie Ackerman broke the scoreless tie 8:20 into the second period after receiving a pass from Mike Driscoll. Junior goaltender Ed Zdolshek made 25 saves in the opening 40 minutes, including 19 in the first stanza, to keep the Golden Flyers' deficit to one. Prior to Babson's goal, junior Marco Spisso and freshman Oliver Janzen each hit the post for Nazareth.

Babson's offense broke through early in the third period with a pair of goals in the first 3:36 to begin pulling away. Bobby Hall had an unassisted score 1:53 into the period, followed by Ackerman's second goal of game 1:43 later. Ackerman's goal came on the power play, and Dan Casey and Michael Phillips were credited with the assists.

Following the Beavers' first goals of the period, the teams traded power play goals. Midway through the period, Moles scored his first goal of the season on a Nazareth man-advantage opportunity. Junior Don Olivieri assisted on the scoring chance. Less than six minutes later, Driscoll was on the scoring end of Babson's power play goal. Joe DePiettro and Phillips earned the assists. With 56 seconds remaining in regulation, Jones trimmed the Golden Flyers back to two goals. Senior Julius Tamasy and Olivieri assisted on Jones' goal, which was his second of the season.

Zdolshek finished with a game-high 33 saves in the loss. Jamie Murray had 28 saves for the Beavers. Babson finished with a 38-30 advantage in shots on goal.

With his two assists Saturday, Olivieri has two goals and seven assists for nine points to rank first on the team in scoring with sophomore Ben Blasko, who has nine points on a goal and eight assists. Nazareth was without the services of juniors Tom Seravalli and Scott Dawson and sophomores C.J. Murray and David Seward, who are currently injured.

The Golden Flyers are in action again on Sunday when they play at Amherst in another non-conference game. Nazareth returns to the Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex to host Geneseo on December 2nd at 7p.m.