BABSON PARK, Mass.— Senior Kaitlyn Nimmer (Ashburn, Va.) scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute and No. 2 Emory University held off a comeback attempt by host Babson College to capture a 2-1 victory in a non-conference women's soccer game Saturday afternoon at Hartwell-Rogers Field.
Babson suffered its second straight loss and dropped to 1-3 on the season while Emory, which advanced to the Division III championship game last season, is now 2-0-1 this fall.
Both teams were credited with an own goal in the contest, Emory in the third minute to take an early lead and Babson in the 74th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. Senior Rachel Carr (Salem, N.H.) made three saves for the visitors to record the win in goal.
Senior
Callahan Cottone (Medway, Mass.) registered two first-half saves and sophomore
Maisie Creamer (Boulder, Colo.) added three stops in the second half for the Beavers in the setback.
The Eagles capitalized on a free kick from about 10 yards left of the 18-yard box less than three minutes into the first half. Junior Mikayla Camp (Syosset, N.Y.) booted the kick, which hit the 6-yard line and skipped through a group of players and went off a Babson defender and ended up in the net to put the visitors on top.
Babson has an excellent scoring chance on a corner kick in the 19th minute but Carr denied senior
Priscilla-Rose Men-Martin (Rolling Hills Estate, Calif.) from point blank range near the left post. Nimmer nearly doubled the Emory lead in the final minute of the first half, creating a Babson turnover deep in its own zone and ripping a shot from 15 yards out but Cottone made a nice kick save to keep it a one-goal contest.
Emory extended the lead to 2-0 on a beautiful strike by Nimmer. She dribbled the ball from the midfield stripe past a pair of defenders and buried a shot from 20 yards out that sailed past a diving Creamer and under the crossbar for her first goal of the season.
Babson got on the scoreboard off a corner kick in the 74th minute. Sophomore
Lindsey Cassady (Westfield, Ind.) delivered the corner from the right side and an Emory defender attempter a header to clear the ball away but it ended up in the back of the net to cut the margin to 2-1.
The Green and White played with energy to try and score a tying goal, but the best chance in the final minute came from Emory, but Camp's shot from 10 yards out went over the crossbar.
The Eagles finished with a 14-7 advantage in shots, including 6-3 in attempts on target. Babson finished with a 6-4 margin in corner kicks.
Both teams are right back in action on Sunday as Babson travels to Hamilton for a 12 p.m. contest and Emory plays at Emerson at 2 p.m.
GAME NOTES
• Saturday's game was the first career meeting between the two programs.
• All three Babson losses this season are to teams from the University Athletic Association (UAA), which sent seven of its eight programs to the NCAA Tournament last season and three to the national semifinals.
• The Green and White have split goalkeeping duties in all four games this season with Cottone (1.50 GAA, 6 saves) playing the first half of each match and Creamer (1.00 GAA, 12 saves) holding down the fort in the second half.
