Blue Lacrosse Falls to Babson in NEWMAC Opener, 17-6

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Babson College senior Lexi Lenaghan (Hanover, Mass.) scored a game-high seven goals to lead the visiting Beavers to a 17-6 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Wellesley College lacrosse on Saturday at the Wellesley Fields Complex.

Babson improves to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the NEWMAC following the conference opener for both squads. Wellesley is now 3-3 (0-1 NEWMAC) on the year.

Lenaghan added three assist to finish with a game-high 10 points. The Beavers never trailed in the contest, with sophomores Sara O'Connor (Marshfield, Mass.) and Juliana McGuire (Sparta, N.J.) each adding two goal efforts for the visitors. Nine different payers scored for Babson, as Georgia Salvatore (Westwood, Mass.), Coco Creedon (McKinney, Texas), Mairead Williams (Hingham, Mass.), Olivia McCahan (Providence, R.I.), Caroline Benson (Andover, Mass.), and Valerie Quinlan (Norwood, Mass.) also found the back of the net. Salvatore also finished the contest with three assists.

Wellesley senior Dacia Persky (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored two goals and had two assists to lead the Blue. First years Eleanor Mallett (Berwick, Maine) and Izzy Burdick (Scarborough, Maine) each scored, with Burdick adding an assist. Goals from senior Mariana Hernandez (Orlando, Fla.) and sophomore Carson Dennis (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) rounded out the Blue effort. Senior Ellie Chalphin (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in with three draw controls and two ground balls.

Babson scored six unanswered goals to open the game, taking a 6-0 lead when Lenaghan scored her second of the game at 18:00 of the first half. Dennis broke-up the Babson run, scoring her first of the year on a set-up from Persky, but Babson responded with seven goals to take a 13-1 lead at halftime. Lenaghan scored at 16:41 on a pass from Salvatore and again at 14:01, before capping the run with her sixth goal of the first half with 59 seconds to play before the break.

Lenaghan record nine of her ten points in the first half. She then opened the second half with a goal that put Babson ahead 14-1. Wellesley got four straight goals following Lenaghan's marker at 28:11, with Mallett, Hernandez, Burdick, and Persky netting goals to make the score 14-5. However, the Beavers would go on to secure the 17-6 final, with Creedon, Salvatore, and McGuire combining for a 3-0 run before Persky scored the final goal of the game for the Blue at 3:55.

Babson outshot the Blue, 33-17, and had a 17-12 advantage in ground balls, with junior Maria Bravo (Windermere, Fla.) scooping up four ground balls to lead all players. The Beavers also had the advantage in draw controls, 17-9, and finished 3-for-6 on free position attempts.

Babson sophomore goalkeeper Cricket Fligor (Weston, Mass.) made four saves to improve to 3-3 overall. Wellesley first year Lorna Li (Taunton, Mass.) had four saves in the first half and is now 2-1 on the year. Senior Chloe Tucker (San Ramon, Calif.) made five saves in relief. 

Wellesley will travel to Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee for the team's next game on Tuesday, March 26, at 5:30 PM. Babson will play at the University of New England on Wednesday, March 27, at 5:00 PM.