BOX
SCORE
BABSON PARK, Mass. - The Babson College field hockey team scored
five unanswered goals in a 24-minute stretch to surge past visiting
Connecticut College, 5-3, in a non-conference contest at Babson's
MacDowell Field on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Beavers
snap a two-game slide to improve to 10-6, while the Camels dropped
their sixth in a row to fall to 3-8.
Babson's high-powered offense was on full display in the win, as
junior Sarah Fredlund (New Preston, Conn.) scored
two goals and senior captain Jess Paladino (Turner,
Maine), junior captain Colleen Kelly (Milton,
Mass.), and sophomore Courtney Weaving (New
Preston, Conn.) each scored once. Paladino also dished out
an assist in the victory, as did sophomore Kristen
Steigerwald (North Andover, Mass.). Sophomore goalie
Jess Pashos (Winchester, Mass.) made two saves in
64 minutes of action, while senior Emily Cohen (West Grove,
Pa.) made one key stop in the final six minutes.
Senior Ellen Cavanaugh (Cheshire, Conn.) put Connecticut College
in front midway through the first half, as she ripped a shot from
the top of the circle off Pashos' blocker and in for her first goal
of the season at 20:17. That lead would be short-lived, however, as
Babson answered when Fredlund one-timed a shot past Camels' senior
goalie Steph Quinn (Arlington, Mass.) off a Steigerwald cross at
28:44. Neither team would score over the final six minutes of the
period as the two teams entered the break knotted at one.
The Beavers poured on the offense over the first 18 minutes of
the second half, scoring four more times to build a commanding 5-1
lead. The first came when Connecticut College junior Jess Lewis
(Rutland, Vt.) made a nice defensive save on a shot by Paladino,
but Weaving was there to clean up the rebound for her 11th of the
season at 38:26. Fredlund then put the Beavers in front to stay
with her second goal of the game and 17th goal of the campaign,
sweeping in a nifty crossing pass from Paladino on one of Babson's
seven penalty corners at 43:33. Paladino later tacked on her 17th
of the campaign off a rebound of Weaving's shot at 49:58, and Kelly
capped the 5-0 run with her 11th goal off a hard shot from the top
of the circle at 52:31.
Connecticut College clawed its way back into the contest with a
pair of goals over the next five minutes, beginning when junior
Abby Hine (Madison, Conn.) took a penalty corner entry pass from
first-year Kelsey Nickerson (Weston, Mass.) at the top of the
circle and blasted a shot into the lower right corner for her
team-leading sixth goal of the year at 54:28. Sophomore Lauren
Gaffney (North Andover, Mass.) then made it a two-goal game when
she redirected a hard hit by Hine inside the left post for her
first goal of the season at 57:25.
After Cohen subbed in for Pashos at 63:25, Connecticut College
looked to have a great chance to get to within one during a
breakaway rush with just under four minutes remaining. However,
Babson's veteran back-up keeper came charging out of net to make a
huge save on a bid by Hines and the Beavers' defense successfully
fended off back-to-back corners over the next two minutes as the
hosts secured the 5-3 victory.
Quinn finished with 11 saves in net for Connecticut College,
while Lewis added a defensive save in the loss.
