MIDDLEBURY, Vt.— Senior
Helen DiGiovanni (Harwich, Mass.) scored the only goal and a tenacious defense by No. 6 Babson College limited No. 5 Middlebury College to just three total shots as the Beavers blanked the Panthers, 1-0, in a non-conference top-10 field hockey game Sunday afternoon at Peter Kohn Field.
With the victory, the Beavers knocked off Middlebury for the first time since 2017 and improved to 3-2 on the season. The Panthers suffered their first of the season, falling to 2-1 overall.
Sophomore
Madison Tibbals (Gorham, Maine) finished with two saves in the Babson goal and was assisted by strong team defense led by senior
Emma Smith (Kenilworth, Ill.), junior
Lauren Golden (New Albany, Ohio), sophomore
Anna Bonazzoli (Clinton, Mass.) and first-year
Julia Krepelka (Arlington, Mass.). Sophomore
Molly DiGiulio (East Amherst, N.Y.) recorded an assist on DiGiovanni's goal.
Senior Izzy Redzic (South Burlington, Vt.) made four saves for the hosts in the first half. Junior Madeline DiLemme (Medford, N.J.) did not make a stop in her 27 minutes in goal in the second half before being replaced for an extra attacker with three minutes remaining.
The Beavers seized control of the game in the first quarter, outshooting the Panthers 6-0 and taking all four of the stanza's penalty corners. The Green and White got on the scoreboard two minutes into the second frame as junior
Taylor Shoflick (Greenwood Village, Colo.) passed a loose ball into the middle of the striking circle, DiGiulio pushed it over to DiGiovanni on the right side and she spun around and fired a shot past the keeper into the left side of the goal for her fourth goal of the season.
The goal was one of just two shots in the second quarter, all by Babson, giving the Beavers an 8-0 shot advantage through 30 minutes.
Middlebury came alive with their first two shots and two penalty corners in the third quarter but could not penetrate the Babson defense. The Beavers had a 2-1 advantage in both shots and corners in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
The Green and White finished with an 11-3 margin in total shots, including 5-2 in shots on goal, and doubled up the Panthers in corners, 6-3.
Babson returns home for their next three games, beginning on Tuesday vs. the University of New England at 6 p.m. at MacDowell Field. Middlebury travels to Amherst on Saturday for an 11 a.m. match-up.
GAME NOTES
• The Beavers snapped a nine-game losing streak to Middlebury and are now 2-14 all-time against the Panthers in a series that dates back to 1996, posting their first win in the series since September 24, 2017.
• Babson is the first team to shut out Middlebury on its own field since No. 7 Bowdoin blanked the No. 10 Panthers 1-0 on September 10, 2010.
• The Green and White are 2-2 against top-10 teams this season and 9-4 against all ranked teams since the beginning of last season.
• DiGiovanni has 12 career goals and a team-leading four markers this season, one shy of her career high of five set in 2024.
