NEW LONDON, Conn. — Sophomore
Izzy Lee (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored a goal in the 12th minute to tie the game, and Babson College and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy went on to a 1-1 draw in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's soccer match Friday evening at wet and windy Nitchman Field.
With the tie, Babson is unbeaten in its last three games and is now 3-4-1 overall and 1-0-1 in the NEWMAC. Coast Guard bounced back from a loss on Wednesday with a tie to move to 2-2-4 overall and 0-0-2 in the conference.
Senior
Callahan Cottone (Medway, Mass.) made four saves in goal for the Beavers in the first half and sophomore
Maisie Creamer (Boulder, Colo.) made one stop in the second half.
Junior Ella Pottle (Epping, N.H.) scored for the hosts, assisted by classmate Katelyn Mankewich (Scituate, Mass.). Senior Julia Little (Pensacola, Fla.) finished with four saves in goal for the Bears.
The Beavers finished with a 21-6 margin in total shots but the Bears put all six of their shots on target and had a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal.
Coast Guard got on the board less than four minutes after the opening whistle. After a Babson clearing attempt was knocked away, Mankewich laid the ball off to Pottle, who unleashed a 40-yard shot over the keeper and under the crossbar for her second goal of the season.
Babson leveled the score eight minutes later. Junior
Mack Feeney (North Attleboro, Mass.) was broken up entering the 18-yard box and the clearance deflected off her to the penalty spot, and Lee beat the keeper to the loose ball and blasted a shot into the open net to tie the score in the 12th minute.
After shots were tied 5-5 in the first half, the Beavers controlled play in the second half with the wind at their backs, outshooting the Bears 16-1 but could not put one in the net.
The Bears had a good scoring opportunity in the 54th minute. Senior captain
Annabelle Pezzulo (Ashaway, R.I.) stepped up for a free kick from just past the midline and sent a laser towards the net. It looked destined find the top right corner, but a great leap upwards by Creamer preserved the tie.
The Beavers made a run in the 78th minute, with Lee finding an opening in the box but sending a shot off the crossbar. Babson would regain control and work it to the right side of the Bears' box, where Lee sent a great cross in for a header, but senior
Priscilla-Rose Men-Martin (Rolling Hills Estate, Calif.) was denied by Little.
Babson returns home for its next two games, beginning Wednesday for a non-conference match-up against Framingham State at 4:15 p.m. at Hartwell-Rogers Field. Coast Guard play again next Saturday, October 3, at No. 4 MIT at 4:30 p.m. in Cambridge.
GAME NOTES
• Babson is 21-2-4 all-time against Coast Guard in a series that dates back to 2000, is unbeaten in the last eight games (6-0-2) between the sides and have lost just once to the Bears in 23 games going back to 2004.
• Lee has scored a goal in three straight games for the Beavers to take over the team scoring lead.
• Babson is 28-9-8 versus league foes going back to the start of the 2022 campaign, which includes a 10-5-5 road record over the last three seasons.
