Senior Emmy Hamilton had an assist in her final collegiate game for the Blue (Adam Richins).
Senior Emmy Hamilton had an assist in her final collegiate game for the Blue (Adam Richins).

Wellesley Field Hockey Falls To MIT in NEWMAC Semifinals, 2-1

BABSON PARK, Mass.— Second-seeded MIT scored a goal in each half to edge sixth-seeded Wellesley College field hockey, 2-1, in the semifinals of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Field Hockey Championship on Saturday afternoon at Babson's MacDowell Field. 

MIT, winners of seven-straight, improves to 15-2 overall and will play top-seeded Babson in Sunday's conference final for the second year in-a-row. Wellesley ends the season with an 8-12 overall record.

First year Delia Stephens (Austin, Texas) and junior Bailey Tregoning (Frederick, Md.) each scored for MIT, while first year Amanda Garofalo (Fairfield, N.J.) chipped in with an assist. Stephens scored the first goal of her MIT career in the opening half, tipping in a drive from Garofalo on the far post, to give the Engineers a 1-0 lead at 24:04.

MIT carried the 1-0 advantage into the break before doubling their lead just 1:21 after halftime. Tregoning scored her 12th goal of the year, finding space through traffic in front to make the score 2-0 MIT.

The Blue continued to trail 2-0 until the 55:40 mark, when junior Arielle Mitropoulos (Cambridge, Mass.) scored her sixth goal in her last four games, redirecting a pass from senior Emmy Hamilton (New York, N.Y.) into the MIT cage. The goal was the 12th of the season for Mitropoulos.

Wellesley finished with four shots in the second half but could not find the equalizer over the final 14 minutes of play. The Engineers ended the game with an 18-9 edge in shots, as Wellesley junior goalkeeper Maggie Connelly (Duxbury, Mass.) made five saves for the Blue. In the MIT cage, first year Grace Moore (Boston, Mass.) turned away three shots to pick-up the win. MIT also had a 13-5 advantage in penalty corners. 

MIT will take on top-seeded and No. 3 nationally-ranked Babson (16-3) in Sunday's 12:00 PM championship game at MacDowell Field.