BABSON PARK, Mass.—Junior
Lillian McAughan (Bellevue, Wash.) scored twice and was involved in all four goals as Babson College defeated visiting Salve Regina University, 4-2, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's soccer action on Wednesday afternoon at Hartwell-Rogers Field.
Babson, which has lost just once since September 13, improves to 6-5-3 overall and 3-0-3 in conference play. Salve Regina has dropped two of its last three matches to slip to 7-3-3 overall and 4-2 in the NEWMAC.
McAughan also recorded an assist to finish with a career-best five points, junior
Josie Lee (Duxbury, Mass.) provided a goal and an assist, and senior
Priscilla-Rose Men-Martin (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.) also scored for the Beavers. Sophomore
Izzy Reidy (Needham, Mass.) chipped in with her first assist of the season and senior goalkeeper
Callahan Cottone (Medway, Mass.) earned her sixth victory of the year.
Seniors Allie Gallagher (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Carah Leclair (Bellingham, Mass.) both produced a goal for the Seahawks, who also got assists from senior Olivia Tacconi (Waldwick, N.J.), sophomore Ellie Snoke (Nashua, N.H.) and first-year Chelsea Hartsburg (Shelton, Conn.). Senior goalkeeper Sabrina Lawless (Milford, Conn.) matched her season high with 11 saves in the loss.
The Green and White took the lead less than five minutes into the contest when McAughan collected a loose ball and riffled a shot from the top of the box that deflected off a Salve Regina defender and inside the right post. The Seahawks missed a golden opportunity to pull even just over four minutes later when first-year Sienna Mastroianni (Whitinsville, Mass.) intercepted a back pass and pushed the ball around Cottone at the top of the box before sending her shot inches wide of the left post.
The visitors found an equalizer in the 66th minute when Gallagher headed Snoke's free kick over Cottone only to see the Beavers go back in front for good less than two and a half minutes later. McAughan received a long feed from Reidy down the left side and carried the ball to the edge of the six-yard box before playing it across the goal mouth to set up Lee's first marker of the season.
The duo traded roles exactly 10 minutes later as McAughan chased down Lee's long pass down the right sideline, looked up and saw Lawless off her line before drilling a 35-yard strike into the upper left corner to make it 3-1 in the 78th minute. Babson tacked on an insurance goal in the 84th minute as McAughan was tackled from behind dribbling into the box before Men-Martin calmly buried the ensuing penalty kick for her team-leading seventh tally.
Leclair ran onto a thru pass from Tacconi and slipped her finish past a sliding Cottone from 15 yards with 45 seconds remaining for the final margin.
The Beavers finished with a 22-8 edge in shots including a 15-2 margin on frame, and also attempted six of the eight corner kicks in the match.
Both teams are back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. as Babson travels to No. 5 MIT, while Salve Regina visits Wellesley.
GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 11-0-1 all-time versus Salve Regina and 3-0-1 since the two became conference foes in 2023.
• Babson is unbeaten through its first six NEWMAC matches for the second consecutive season and for the seventh time since 2008.
• The Green and White is now 6-0-1 when leading at halftime this fall and 5-0-1 when scoring first on the season.
• The Beavers have won 98 of their last 99 games when scoring at least three goals going back to October 2002.
