Statistics
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Caroline DiGiovanni scored three times in the second half to separate No.3 Babson College from the University of New England during a 5-2 field hockey result on Tuesday evening (Oct. 28) at Blue Bolt Field.
DiGiovanni netted four of the goals for the nationally-ranked Beavers (17-1), who have rattled off 13 straight wins.
The Nor'easters (11-8) are just the fourth opponent to register multiple scores against Babson, with the others being current No.10 Middlebury College (5), No.8 Endicott College (3), and Trinity College (2). UNE is also only the fourth to land at least five shots on goal versus the Beavers.
The hosts got on the board first (8th minute) when
Kate Kelso stole it off a stick deep in Babson's crease and pushed in inside the far post for her ninth goal of the year
[Watch]. UNE out-shot the visitors in the frame (2-1) and accounted for both corners.
A penalty stroke by Lauren Golden tied things up for the Beavers in the 17th minute, and DiGiovanni broke free for a reverse strike in the 29th minute for a 2-1 lead.
But that cushion only lasted 1:49 of game action, because
Riley Zielinski picked the last defender at midfield and raced in alone before slipping it under the goalie for the equalizer -- a mere 30 ticks into the 3rd period
[Watch]. The Nor'easters drew the next corner, and had a look at regaining the edge, but the shot skipped off of the crossbar.
Babson turned up the pressure, prompting five saves by UNE's
Greta Jennison in a span of three minutes, but the sixth attempt at goal found its way through (3-2) as DiGiovanni blasted one from the top of the circle on a penalty corner in the 41st minute. The visiting captain then converted twice in the middle of the 4th quarter, 63 seconds apart, to put things out of reach and elevate her season total to 21 goals.
Madison Tibbals had three stops for the Beavers, while Jennison totaled seven on the other end.
The Nor'easters will now prepare for the opening round of the 2025 Conference of New England (CNE) Field Hockey Championship, as the third seed set to entertain sixth-seeded Nichols College on Saturday at 12 p.m. When the teams met in early October, six different UNE players found the back of the cage in a 7-1 decision.
