Beavers Win Fifth Straight Over Lyons, Return to Conference Title Game for Fourth Time in Six Years

BABSON PARK, Mass.—First-year Ryan Grund (Princeton Junction, N.J.) scored 5:44 into overtime to lift second-seeded Babson College to a 2-1 win over third-seeded Wheaton College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament semifinal on Thursday afternoon at Hartwell-Rogers Field.

With its fourth straight win, Babson improves to 13-5-2 overall and advances to the conference final for the second year in a row and fourth time in the last six seasons. Wheaton sees its season come to an end at 9-8-1.

Grund also picked up an assist and sophomore Eamon Keenan (East Greenwich, R.I.) had a goal for the Beavers. Senior goalkeeper Steven Heintzelman (Middleton, Mass.) made four saves to earn his 11th win of the year.

Senior JD Souza (Wiscasset, Maine) had a goal and sophomore Antonio Rogliano (Tuckahoe, N.Y.) picked up an assist for the Lyons. Sophomore goalkeeper Diego Medina (Yonkers, N.Y.) finished with three saves in the loss.

After a number of near misses Keenan put the Green and White in front 1-0 with his fourth goal of the season in the 76th minute. A Wheaton defender blocked sophomore Ross Shellow's (Miami, Fla.) shot in the box to set up a corner kick and Keenan headed Grund's service past Medina and inside the far post.

The Lyons forced overtime with a late equalizer that came on just their second corner of the match. First-year Jack Brusso's (Pawtucket, R.I.) service bounced to the feet of Rogliano, who had his strike denied by Babson first-year defender Rodrigo Madiedo (Coral Gables, Fla.) before Souza pounced on the rebound for his fourth marker of the season.

Grund decided the match with his second goal of the season in the 96th minute. He took a pass from senior Youcef Ziad (Holbrook, Mass.) in the center of the field and took two touches before hitting a 25-yard rocket that found the upper left corner.

Babson will face either top-seeded WPI or fourth-seeded Clark in Saturday's NEWMAC final at a site and time to be determined.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers have won five straight matches against Wheaton and are now 21-20-0 in the all-time series against the Lyons.
• Babson is unbeaten in its last six games at home, a run that now includes five straight victories.
• Senior Alex Crompton (Killington, Vt.) recorded his eighth assist of the season on Grund's game-winning goal to move into a tie for 20th place on the program's all-time points list.
• The Beavers are 12-0-2 this season when allowing one goal or less.