For Immediate Release
October 23, 2007
Wellesley Sports Information
Courtesy Babson Sports Information
Babson Tops Wellesley, 1-0, In Overtime To Clinch NEWMAC Regular Season Title
Box Score
BABSON PARK, Mass. – Sophomore Jess Paladino (Turner, Maine) scored the game-winning goal four minutes into the first overtime to lift the Babson College field hockey team to a dramatic 1-0 victory over visiting Wellesley College in a matchup of the top two teams in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) on Tuesday night.
With the win, the Beavers completed the program’s first-ever sweep of the NEWMAC, as they finished the regular season at 13-6 overall and 8-0 in the conference. As a result, they earned their second regular season NEWMAC title in three years and will enter next week’s conference tournament as the top seed. They will host eighth-seeded MIT in the quarterfinals this Saturday at 1 p.m. and, with a victory in that game, would host both the semifinals and finals the following weekend.
The loss dropped Wellesley’s record to 11-5 overall and 6-2 in the NEWMAC. The Blue finished in a three-way tie for second place in the league standings with Wheaton and Springfield. They will now await the announcement of their first round opponent when the official seedings and tournament bracket are released on Wednesday.
In a tremendously played game that was representative of the stakes involved, both teams played magnificent defense throughout. Babson had the better of the chances early in the first half, with its best chance coming when Paladino broke free on the right side and hit a rocket off the right post just 4:45 into the game. However, Wellesley gradually gained control over the course of the period, eventually taking a 3-1 shot advantage into the break.
The second half began just like the first, with Babson controlling the play early on. Junior Nicole Cemelli (Towaco, N.J.) put a hard shot on net just 2:53 into the stanza, but junior keeper Emily Hewitt (Alexandria, Va.) was able to kick it aside on the right baseline. The Beavers then had their best chance of regulation at the 39-minute mark, when Hewitt was drawn out of goal during a scramble in front. Senior Mikayla Shea (Dover, N.H.) stepped up and hit a shot past the Wellesley goalie, but junior Becca Leclerc (Avon, Conn.) made a huge defensive save on the goal line to keep the game scoreless.
After three straight Babson penalty corners followed by a shot by first-year Sarah Fredlund (New Preston, Conn.) that was saved by Hewitt, Wellesley took control just as it had in the opening half. The Blue would record nine unanswered shots and three corners over the final 29 minutes of regulation, but would come up empty each time. Wellesley’s best chance came when first-year Kathryn Frett (Hallowell, Maine) fired a shot on net that rebounded back into the goal mouth with 5:40 left in the second. Sophomore Callie Lekas (Brewster, Mass.) was right there to put multiple shots on goal, but Babson sophomore keeper Emily Cohen (West Grove, Pa.) went to the ground to make three straight saves during the flurry to keep the Blue off the board. Wellesley would manage one final shot by Frett with 4:49 remaining, but it bounced wide as the contest went to overtime tied at 0-0.
Babson came out firing once again in the extra session, but Hewitt turned away back-to-back attempts by senior tri-captain Brittany Stevens (Dudley, Mass.) and Fredlund just one minute in. Hewitt then came up huge again when she made a great diving deflection at the top of the circle on a clean breakaway by Cemelli with 11:30 remaining. However, Babson was awarded a penalty corner soon after, which eventually resulted the game’s only goal. After senior tri-captain Annie Pease (Waterville, Maine) sent the ball in, Cemelli slowed it at the top of the circle. Stevens then took a wicked shot that hit off a defender’s stick and deflected high in the air toward the left side of the circle. There, Paladino let the ball take one knee-high bounce before blasting it out of mid-air past Hewitt for the game-winner with exactly 11 minutes on the clock. It was the sophomore forward’s team-leading 13th goal of the season.
Both goalies were brilliant in the contest, with Hewitt and Cohen each finishing with four saves and multiple clears under pressure. Wellesley held a 12-9 advantage in shots, while Babson posted a 7-5 advantage in penalty corners.