April 2, 2008

Box Score

NEWTON CENTRE, Mass. - Babson College came storming back from an early 6-0 deficit to claim a thrilling 13-11 victory over host Mount Ida College on Wednesday. The Beavers improved to 2-7 with their second straight win, while the Mustangs saw their record fall to 5-4.

The hosts would reel off the first six goals of the contest including two apiece by senior attack John Lightbown (Melrose, MA/Melrose) and junior midfielder Anthony DiMarsico (Fairport, NY/Fairport). After freshmen Paul Battapaglia (Clinton, CT/Morgan) and Matt Savage (Peabody, MA/Peabody) fired in another two scores, the Mustangs would hold the 6-0 advantage with 1:59 left in the first quarter.

Trailing by six, the Beavers mounted a comeback with quick three goals in the final two minutes of the quarter, as junior E.J. Petersen (Framingham, MA/Framingham), junior Matt Enright (Bristol, RI/Milton Academy), and senior co-captain Jason Wellemeyer (Pembroke, MA/Catholic Memorial) all found the back of the net. Babson would carry that momentum into the second quarter, when junior co-captain Bryan Wilbur (Hingham, MA/Phillips Exeter Academy) netted his first of four goals just 10 seconds in. The visitors would continue to dominate the offense reeling off two more goals by Petersen and Wilbur to knot the score at 6-6 going into the break.

It would continue to be all Babson for the bulk of the third quarter with Wellemeyer netting two more scores to stretch the visitors' advantage to 8-6. The Beavers would add one more score by junior Matt Harrington (Hanover, MA/Thayer Academy) to take a 9-6 lead with 2:30 remaining in the third.

The Mustangs would finally end the Babson run with another score by Savage to go into the fourth quarter down, 9-7. However, Babson wasted no time in adding to its lead, getting two quick goals within four minutes by Wilbur and freshman Andrew Packer (Hudson, OH/Western Reserve Academy).

Mount Ida responded with a pair of goals - one off a rocket by Lightbown and another on a bouncer by freshman Dan Harrington (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) - to cut the lead to 11-9 with 6:30 left to play. However, Wellemeyer and Wilbur both netted key goals in the final six minutes to help the Beavers hold on for the 13-11 victory.

The Beavers were led by Wilbur and Wellemeyer, who scored four goals apiece, and Peterson, who would net three. The Mustangs saw another outstanding performance from Lightbown, who tallyied four, and Savage, who followed with three.

Mount Ida goaltender Matt Vernik (Bethany, CT/Amity Regional) would save nine shots between the pipes while the Beavers would change goaltenders at the half with Mike Saucier (Nashua, NH/Nashua) and Max Owen (Hamilton, NJ/Pennington Academy) stopping three shots combined.

NOTE: Taken from a Mount Ida College press release.