Babson College Men's Ice Hockey

Rice was selected as the ECAC East and New England Hockey Writers Association Coach of the Year in 2014 after leading the Beavers to a 22-5-2 mark and their second consecutive league tournament title. A two-time conference coach of the year and Edward Jeremiah Award finalist, and 2007 New England Coach of the Year, Rice has led the program to four NCAA Tournament berths, including back-to-back national quarterfinal appearances in 2013 and 2014. Babson clinched a share of the ECAC East regular-season title in 2014, and has reached the conference championship game nine times during Rice's tenure. Rice has recruited and coached six All-Americans, one ECAC East Player of the Year, four conference goaltender's of the year, 10 all-region selections, 21 all-conference honorees, and 11 ECAC East All-Rookie team members during his time at Babson, while winning at least 17 games on seven occasions. The Beavers have finished the year with a top-20 ranking in team defense in seven of the last 11 years, including 2014, when they were third in the country allowing just 1.59 goals per game. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, Rice played four seasons at the forward position for Babson from 1986 to 1990, helping the Beavers amass a spectacular record of 81-31-10 during that stretch. He recorded 24 goals and 55 assists for 79 points in 116 career games, including a career-high 32 points in 1988-89. Rice returned to Babson in 2004 after spending 14 years as an assistant coach at Colby College, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Northeastern University. During his five-year tenure at Brown, he helped guide the Bears to a 1993 NCAA Tournament appearance and a 1995 Ivy League Championship. In addition to the college ranks, Rice coaches in the Massachusetts Satellite Program and for USA Hockey. This summer he will serve as a head coach at the USA Hockey Select 17 Festival in Buffalo, N.Y., marking his seventh summer as a coach at USA Hockeys National festivals.  He also served as a coach at the 2007 US World Junior Camp which was used to select the 2008 US World Junior Team and competed against Finland and Sweden in Lake Plaicd, N.Y.  Rice is also the director of the Babson College Summer Hockey Camp, and he is a well-respected lecturer for USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program. Rice earned his Master's Degree in Education from Boston University in 1998. He currently resides in Walpole, Massachusetts with his wife, Stephanie, his 14-year old son, Mark, and 10-year old twin daughters, Erika and Kayla. View: | Desktop

Balben came to Babson after spending the last three years as the varsity assistant hockey coach and junior varsity assistant baseball coach at the Belmont Hill School in nearby Belmont. He helped lead the hockey program to an overall record of 56-21-14 and an Independent School League (ISL) championship in 2013 during his time on the sidelines. Balben also spent two years as a middle school assistant hockey and baseball coach at Belmont Hill in 2009 and 2011.  A native of Wayland, Balben played in 103 games for Babson. He scored 28 goals and notched 48 assists for 76 points, while helping the Beavers to the 2007 and 2009 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Tournament titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Balben was also selected to the ECAC East All-Rookie Team after producing eight goals and 12 assists in 27 games as a first-year during the 2005-06 campaign.  View: | Desktop