NORTON, Mass.—No. 14 Babson College scored early in both halves to defeat Wheaton College, 2-0, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's soccer action on Saturday afternoon at Keefe Field.
With the win, Babson improves to 8-1-6 overall and 3-0-1 in conference play. Wheaton, which had its six-unbeaten streak snapped, slips to 6-4-4 overall and 1-1-2 in the NEWMAC.
Graduate students
Kento Abe (Quincy, Mass.) and
James Donaldson (Kirkland, Quebec) both scored, and senior
Lyndon Way (Atlanta, Ga.) added an assist for the Beavers. Senior goalkeeper
Walker White (Coral Gables, Fla.) kept his sixth clean sheet of the season with two saves.
Junior goalkeeper Michael O'Gara (Ardmore, Pa.) finished with three saves for the Lyons, which had not conceded a goal in over 570 minutes entering the match.
Abe gave the Green and White the lead with his team-leading fifth goal just 5:25 into the contest. He settled Way's free kick from just over midfield in stride on his right foot streaking across the top of the box before drilling a 20-yard rocket past O'Gara and inside the left post to make it 1-0.
The Beavers doubled their advantage in the 51st minute on Donaldson's third marker of the season. Senior
Matias Gutierrez (Coral Gables, Fla.) played a centering pass from the right side of the box that deflected off a Wheaton defender right to the feet of Donaldson, who calmly tucked his finish inside the left post from the top of the six-yard box.
The Lyons had their best scoring chances over the first half-hour of the match. Senior Alasdair Ferrier (Concord, N.H.) had a chance to open the scoring in the third minute when classmate Ethan Alfano's (East Greenwich, R.I.) throw-in from the right sideline ended up at his feet inside 10 yards but was unable to get off a shot before the Babson defense converged and eventually cleared the ball out of danger.
Ferrier had another chance in the 26th minute when he was first to a ball by Alfano into the box only to have White come charging off his line to help push his first touch wide.
The Beavers finished with an 11-4 edge in shots, including 5-2 on target, while both teams earned three corner kicks in the contest.
Both sides are back in action on Wednesday as Babson hosts Springfield at 3 p.m., while Wheaton travels to Emerson at 6 p.m.
GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are 27-20 all-time against Wheaton and have won the 10 consecutive matches between the teams.
• Babson extended its NEWMAC unbeaten streak to 26 games (21-0-5) with Saturday's win and are now unbeaten in 21 straight road fixtures versus league foes
• The Green and White is 6-0 this season and 29-1-1 over the last four seasons when scoring at least two goals.
• The Beavers have outscored their first four NEWMAC opponents 13-1.
