BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate student Kento Abe (Quincy, Mass.) finished with a goal and an assist to help 11th-ranked and top-seeded Babson defeat fifth-seeded Springfield College, 4-0, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament semifinal at Hartwell-Rogers Field on Thursday afternoon. 

With its sixth consecutive win, Babson improves to 13-1-6 overall and advances to the conference championship game for the sixth year in a row. Springfield, which outlasted MIT in penalty kicks on Tuesday night, ends its season at 6-9-4. 

Graduate student James Donaldson (Kirkland, Quebec), classmate Lorenzo Mancini (Franklin, Mass.) and senior Lyndon Way (Atlanta, Ga.) each provided a goal for the Beavers, who got one save from senior goalkeeper Walker White (Coral Gables, Fla.). 

Junior goalkeeper Noah Pote (Washington, Conn.) stopped six shots for the Pride, which was reduced to 10 men following a red card in the 40th minute. 

Way put the Green and White in front less than six minutes into the match with looping header that went over the outstretched hand of Pote from the back post off a corner kick from Abe for his first goal of the season. Pote kept Springfield within one with a diving save at the near post to deny senior Liam Rhatigan (Holderness, N.H.). 

The Beavers put the game away with a pair of markers in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Donaldson scored for the fourth game in a row in the 51st minute, touching home his own rebound after Pote denied his initial attempt the left post to make it 2-0. Abe followed with his seventh goal of the year just over nine minutes later, collecting a pass over the defense from graduate student Tyler Fidrych (Stonington, Conn.) and holding off a defender to beat Pote inside the near post. 

Mancini put the finishing touches on the victory for Babson by burying a penalty kick following a handball in the box for the first goal of his career in the 71st minute. 

The Beavers outshot the Pride 20-6 and attempted eight of the 10 corner kicks in the match. 

Babson will face either second-seeded Salve Regina or third-seeded Coast Guard in Saturday's NEWMAC final. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 26-7-5 all-time against Springfield, which includes a 5-1-1 record in the conference playoffs. 
•    Babson has scored inside the opening 10 minutes eight times in 20 matches this fall. 
•    The Green and White is 9-0-1 on the year when leading at halftime and 13-0-3 when scoring the opening goal of the game. 
•    The Beavers are unbeaten in 31 straight matches against NEWMAC foes (26-0-5) and have outscored league opponents 28-8 in nine games this season.