Rally forces overtime before Lyons fall at NEWMAC foe Babson, 3-2

October 2, 2007

BABSON PARK, MA- In a field hockey contest between the co-leaders of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), senior Brittany Stevens (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) scored 6:44 into overtime to send Babson College past Wheaton College, 3-2 on Tuesday at MacDowell Field. The Lyons saw their three-game winning streak end in falling to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in league play, and they are now tied for third in the league after Wellesley College's victory on Tuesday. The Beavers are 6-5 and 3-0 after their fifth straight win.

During a slow first half in which Babson recorded a 3-1 edge in shots but was blanked in penalty corners, 3-0, the Beavers struck twice thanks to sophomore Jess Paladino (Turner, ME/Leavitt Area). Paladino tallied off senior Michele Farley's (Skowhegan, ME/Skowhegan) assist just 6:11 into the contest before dishing off to freshman Sarah Fredlund (New Preston, CT/Shepaug Valley), who scored with nine minutes left in the stanza.

The Lyons wasted little time in rallying during the second half, as freshman Jessica Strock (Centerville, MA/Barnstable) converted sophomore Cassie Abel's (Windham, NH/Salem) assist less than five minutes after halftime. Strock's marker snapped Babson's shutout streak at 259:51. In the 51st minute, senior Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) knotted the game off sophomore Alex Block's (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) assist.

Freshman keeper Cameron Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) made sure the game remained tied down the stretch, making three saves during a five-minute span immediately following Dimick's goal. The Lyons had two penalty corners in the final four minutes of regulation go unanswered, and Dimick was stopped by Babson sophomore keeper Emily Cohen (West Grove, PA/Avon Grove) with three minutes left for the final opportunity of the second half.

In overtime, Abel turned aside two Paladino shots in the first two minutes before Stevens, who had subbed into the game just two minutes earlier, notched her first goal of the season at the 76:44 mark.

Cameron Abel finished with eight saves, while Cohen had two. Wheaton held a 7-2 advantage in penalty corners but were outshot, 12-6 by Babson.

The Lyons turn their focus toward Clark University, which they host next Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.

SCORING: 1st 2nd OT Final
Wheaton (8-4, 2-1) 0 2 0 2
Babson (6-5, 3-0) 2 0 1 3

1st Half: BC- Jess Paladino (Michele Farley) 6:11, Sarah Fredlund (Paladino) 25:58

2nd Half: WC- Jessica Strock (Cassie Abel) 39:53, Sara Dimick (Alex Block) 50:54

OT: BC- Brittany Stevens (unassisted) 76:44

Goalie Saves: WC- Cameron Abel 8; BC- Emily Cohen 2

Shots: WC- 6; BC- 12

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