BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Senior captain Amy Festa (Medfield, Mass.) scored two goals and added an assist to lead the fourth-seeded Babson College Beavers to a 3-1 win over fifth-seeded Clark University in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Women's Soccer Tournament at Babson's Hartwell-Rogers Field on Wednesday afternoon.

With the win, the Beavers (9-8-2) advance to this weekend's semifinal round at top-seeded Springfield, where they will face the host Pride at noon. The winner of that match will then play in Sunday's championship game at Springfield at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the Cougars drop to 9-9-1 and will await a possible bid to the ECAC New England Tournament when the field is announced early next week.

Babson got off to a quick start with two goals in the first half, beginning when sophomore Avika Shah (Scotch Plains, N.J.) sent a service from midfield toward the far left side of the box. The ball was then deflected to Festa, who turned on her defender and ripped a shot inside the left post at 13:10.

Clark had its best chance of the opening period a little more than six minutes later, but junior Janelle Pasternack's (North Brookfield, Mass.) header from eight yards out off a corner kick was punched away by Beavers' sophomore keeper Melina Kapotsis (Watertown, Mass.) at 19:17. Babson then made it 2-0 later in the half, as Festa ran down a nice through-ball by senior Kelly Hanly (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) along the right side and sent a cross through the box. Junior Meghan Andrew (North Easton, Mass.) came charging across the goal mouth and redirected a perfect shot inside the right post from 10 yards out for her fifth goal of the season at 32:42.

The Beavers continued to add to their lead early in the second half, as Festa took a long breakaway pass from sophomore Jessica DiPhilippo (Falmouth, Maine), made a move on charging keeper Gabby Paolini (North Potomac, Md.), and sent a shot into a wide-open net for her second of the day and 12th of the year at 49:32. Junior Carley Martyniak (Foxboro, Mass.) also picked up an assist on the play as the hosts built a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The Cougars finally got on the board in the 64th minute, converting a penalty kick after a Babson handball in the box during a corner kick flurry. Off Jenna Zarou's (Garden City, N.J.) insertion from the left side, senior Hannah Moriarty (Millbury, Mass.) headed a shot toward the lower right corner of the net. Andrew made a huge block on the goal line to prevent the score, but a Babson handball during the ensuing skirmish resulted in a PK opportunity for Cumberbatch. Kapotsis got a hand on the first-year striker's shot, but it trickled past her into the net for Cumberbatch's team-leading eighth goal of the season at 63:52.

Clark had a chance to cut it to just one five minutes later, but Kapotsis made a huge save to preserve Babson's two-goal lead. Off a free kick from the right side, Cougars' junior  Lucia Pantuosco (Somers, Conn.) headed a shot toward the left side of the goal mouth, where the sophomore goalie made a tremendous sprawling save to her right.

The visitors threatened again with under three minutes to go, as Zarou hit a free kick off the cross bar from 30 yards out and Moriarty's follow-up went high at 87:14. Pantuosco then had Clark's final chance of the game at 87:50, when she missed wide left off a cross from sophomore Charlotte Mays (Melrose, Mass.).

Kapotsis finished with five saves in goal for Babson, while Paolini turned away three shots for Clark.