BABSON PARK, Mass.-The fifth-ranked Hobart College hockey team scored three goals in the third period as is it defeated sixth-ranked Babson 4-1 in a New England Hockey Conference contest at the Babson Skating Rink this afternoon. With their sixth straight win, the Statesmen are 18-4-3 overall and 12-4-2 in conference play.
 
Hobart locked up the third seed in the NEHC tournament and will host Skidmore next Saturday, Feb. 22, in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Babson, which clinched the No. 2 seed with a victory over Skidmore last night, will take on Southern Maine. No. 1 seed Norwich will host on No. 8 seed Castleton and No. 4 New England College will host No. 5 UMass Boston. All four games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
 
Senior Lawson MacDougall (1g, 1a) and junior Andrew Longo (1g, 1a) posted a game-high two points each. Four different players recorded a goal in the victory. Sophomore Liam Lascelle started in goal and made a season-high 32 saves as he earned his sixth win of the season.
 
Ryan Black scored for the Beavers (18-5-2, 13-4-1). Aidan Murphy started in goal for Babson and made 24 saves.
 
Hobart controlled the pace of play in the opening period, outshooting the Beavers 13-8. Junior Ryan Lynch opened the scoring at the 11:22 mark of the first period. He drilled the underside of the crossbar from the left faceoff circle for his sixth goal of the season. Fellow juniors Kyle Lynch and Mike Faulkner were credited with assists on the goal. With just under seven minutes remaining in the period, TJ Schultz fired a shot from the point through traffic, but it was turned aside by Murphy.
 
Babson tied the game 51 seconds into the second period. Black rifled a wrist shot past Lascelle from the left wing for his 11th goal of the season. Nick Rosa and Mike Egan were credited with assists on the goal. Lascelle kept the game deadlocked with back-to-back saves on Black in the final two minutes of the period.
 
Just under seven minutes into the period, Faulkner had Hobart's best chance of second period. His shot was turned aside by Murphy.
 
Senior Zach Sternbach nearly gave Hobart a 2-1 lead 10 minutes into the third period. His shot from the slot cleanly beat Murphy, but bounced harmlessly off the crossbar. MacDougall scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal with 3:30 remaining in regulation. He deked around a defender, cut to the slot and lifted a shot over Murphy's right shoulder for his seventh goal of the season. Longo and Sternbach were credited with assists on the goal. Hobart iced the game with a pair of empty-net goals. Two minutes after pocketing the game-winning goal, MacDougall forced a turnover in the offensive zone and fed a centering pass to Longo, who tapped the puck into the empty cage. Fifty seconds later, Tyson tacked on his ninth goal of the season. Senior Julien Denicourt and junior Travis Schneider were awarded assists on the goal.
 
Babson finished the game with a 33-28 edge in shots on goal. Neither team found the back of the net on the power play. The Statesmen were 0-for-3 and the Beavers were 0-for-2 with the extra attacker.