Babson Park, MA – Sophomore Lindsey Gullett (Wawanesa, Manitoba) scored a pair of goals and first-year goalie Arthur Hollinger (Homer Glen, Ill.) made 14 saves to lead the Castle State College Spartans to a 3-1 victory over the host Babson College Beavers in an ECAC East men's ice hockey matchup at the Babson Skating Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Castleton extended its unbeaten streak to six games and improved to 6-6-3 overall and 4-4-1 in the conference, while Babson saw its record fall to 6-7-1 overall and 4-5-0 in the ECAC East.
The Spartans jumped in front late in the opening period, as Gullett took a feed from sophomore Dan Mauriello (Guilford, Conn.) and fired a hard slapper from the right circle. Babson first-year goaltender Zeke Testa (Wellesley, Mass.) nearly stopped the short-range blast with what would have been a spectacular kick save, but the puck glanced off his right blocker and trickled just across the goal line for Gullett's fourth of the season at 15:33.
Gullett struck again at almost the same point in the second period, as he broke in on Testa with under five minutes to go. The Beavers' netminder denied his first attempt, but Gullett was able to stuff home his own rebound for his second of the game and fifth of the year at 15:35.
Babson cut its deficit in half with a powerplay goal later in the second, beginning when sophomore Dan Ahern's (Melrose, Mass.) initial shot was broken up by the Castleton defense. The puck then caromed to sophomore defenseman Colin Young (Dedham, Mass.), who slapped a rocket from the left point over Hollinger's near-side shoulder for his first of the season at 17:13.
The Beavers would have two more extra-man opportunities, but Castleton killed off a power play late in the second and another early in the third to maintain its 2-1 lead. Babson later pulled Testa in favor of an extra skater in the final two minutes, but first-year Josh Harris (Torrance, Calif.) sent his fifth goal of the season into the empty net with 1:11 remaining to clinch the 3-1 Spartan victory.
Hollinger finished with 14 saves in the victory for Castleton, while Testa finished a strong effort in net with 26 saves for Babson.
