Press Release

FARETRA, QUENNEVILLE HELP SMC STUN NO. 15 BABSON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         FOR MORE INFORMATION
January 17, 2004                                                                          Contact: Seth Cole
Courtesy: Babson Sports Information                                              Phone: (802) 654-2537

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Senior Gavin Faretra (Bow, N.H./Tilton School) scored the game-winning goal with 34.5 seconds left in regulation and first-year goalie Derek Jackson (Clinton, N.Y./Gunnery School) stopped 34 shots in net as the Saint Michael’s College men’s ice hockey stunned host Babson College, 4-3, in ECAC East action on Saturday evening. With the win, the Purple Knights improve to 5-8-0 overall and 3-6-0 in conference play, while the Beavers, who entered the weekend ranked 15th in the country, fall to 8-6-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the East.

After each team netted a goal in the first period, Saint Michael’s took control with two quick scores in the second. Junior Chris Zimmermann (Montreal, Quebec/Tabor Academy) redirected sophomore David Mullins’ (Montreal, Quebec/Governor Dummer Academy) blue-line slapper past first-year goalie John Sterbling (Farmington Hills, Mich.) at 1:51, and senior Justin Quenneville (Montreal, Quebec/Stanstead College) tipped in a shot by senior Brent Hill (St. Albert, Alberta/St. Albert Saints) on the powerplay at 3:56. It was the second goal of the contest for Quenneville, as the Purple Knights took a 3-1 lead.

Babson got one goal back just 33 seconds later, as first-year Ryan Farrell (East Islip, N.Y.) one-timed a centering pass from first-year Lou Eyster (Norwell, Mass.) past Jackson at 4:29. The first-year goaltender would then slam the door on the Beavers for the next 33 minutes, as he stopped 10 shots in the second period and 14 more in the third to keep his team in front, 3-2.

Saint Michael’s maintained its advantage until the final two minutes of play, when Babson finally got a shot past Jackson to even the contest at 3-3. Sophomore Johnny Kim (Laurel, Maryland) dug the puck out of the left corner and fired a long pass out to the right point, where sophomore Tom Sullivan (Pembroke, Mass.) fired a wristshot that found its way through Jackson’s legs and into the back of the net, tying the game with 1:34 remaining. However, Saint Michael’s came right back as Faretra received a centering pass from junior Nick Towne (Milton, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) on the left post and tipped it over Sterbling’s right blocker, giving his team a 4-3 advantage with just 34.5 seconds on the clock. That would prove to be enough for Jackson and the Purple Knights, who came away with the dramatic upset victory.

Saint Michael’s 4, Babson 3
 St. Michael’s College (5-8-0, 3-6-0 ECAC East)              1       2        1       —        4
Babson College (8-6-1, 3-5-1 ECAC East)                      1       1        1       —        3

SCORING
1st Period:
B - Steve Whitney (Rob Harvey, Drew Lindow) 10:24
 SM - Justin Quenneville (Alex Watts) 17:26 

2nd Period:
SM - Chris Zimmermann (David Mullins, Jared Silver) 1:51
 SM - PP - Justin Quenneville (Brent Hill) 3:56
 B - Ryan Farrell (Lou Eyster, Ryan Murphy) 4:29 

3rd Period:
B - Tom Sullivan (Johnny Kim) 18:36
 SM  - Gavin Faretra (Nick Towne, Matt Anctil) 19:25.5 

SAVES: SM, Derek Jackson 34 (60 mins 3 GA); B, John Sterbling 18 (59:34 mins 4 GA)

SHOTS ON GOAL: SM 22, B 37

For complete box score, click here.

###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002