NEWPORT, R.I.—The sixth-seeded Babson College women’s soccer team saw its season come to an end with a 3-2 loss at second-seeded Salve Regina University in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament semifinal on Thursday afternoon at Reynolds Field. 

Babson, which was making its 10th conference semifinal appearance over the last 14 years, concludes its seaso at 8-9-4. Salve Regina, which is unbeaten over its last six games, improves to 12-3-5 overall and advances to Saturday’s NEWMAC Tournament final for the first time in program history. 

Senior Priscilla-Rose Men-Martin (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.) and sophomore Izzy Lee (Phoenix, Ariz.) each provided a goal, while classmate Lindsey Cassady (Westfield, Ind.) contributed an assist for the Beavers. Senior goalkeeper Callahan Cottone (Medway, Mass.) matched her career high with nine saves in the defeat. 

Senior Carah Leclair (Bellingham, Mass.) and first-years Tori Spadavecchia (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) and Sienna Mastroianni (Whitinsville, Mass.) all scored for the Seahawks, who got 14 saves from Sabrina Lawless (Milford, Conn.). 

The Green and White took an early 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Men-Martin slotted her penalty kick inside the left post after Salve Regina was whistled for a handball in the box. Salve Regina responded just under three minutes later as Spadavecchia ran onto a service just to the right of the penalty spot and touched her finish past Cottone, who was charging off her line for her fourth marker of the year. 

The Seahawks took their first lead in the 19th minute on Mastroianni’s team-leading 10th goal. Babson initially cleared away a long ball into the box but senior Olivia Tacconi (Waldwick, N.J.) played it back in and Mastroianni corralled it at the right corner of the six-yard box and her shot crossed the goal line just before senior Claudia Baiter (Miami, Fla.) was able to clear it away. 

Cottone kept the Beavers within a goal by tipping a blast by first-year Mya Ranieri (Braintree, Mass.) over the crossbar in the 30th minute, but the hosts extended their lead to 3-1 in the 49th minute when Leclerc whipped a ball back into the box that deflected off a Babson defender and inside the right post for her seventh goal of the fall. The Green and White pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute, cutting its deficit to 3-2 when Lee headed home a corner kick from Cassady for her sixth tally. 

The Green and White dominated possession over the final 20 minutes but was unable to find a late equalizer thanks to six saves by Lawless. Her best stop came in the 83rd minute when she snared another header by Lee that was headed for the upper right corner. 

The Beavers finished with a 31-18 edge in shots, which included a 23-8 advantage over the final 45 minutes. They also held a slim 8-7 margin in corner kicks. 

GAME NOTES

•    The Beavers are now 11-1-1 all-time against Salve Regina and Thursday’s match was the first all-time between the teams in the postseason. 

•    Babson is now 2-7-2 in the NEWMAC semifinals going back to 2010.

•    Thursday’s loss snapped a 16-match unbeaten streak that dated back to 2024 for the Green and White when scoring at least two goals. 

•    After winning for the first time when conceding the first goal in Tuesday’s quarterfinals at Wheaton, the Beavers had been 7-0-2 on the year when scoring first prior to Thursday’s loss.