No. 2 Babson tops field hockey in season finale

Rachel Katzenberg had a career-high 25 saves in Mount Holyoke's loss to No. 2 Babson on Oct. 28, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Rachel Katzenberg had a career-high 25 saves in Mount Holyoke's loss to No. 2 Babson on Oct. 28, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Jackie Hill scored four times, including three goals in a row, to lead No. 2 nationally ranked Babson College to a 9-0 NEWMAC victory over the Mount Holyoke College field hockey team on Saturday.

Camille Marsh added two goals and Jessica Evans had a goal and an assist for the visiting Beavers (18-1, 9-0 NEWMAC), who finish the regular season in first place in the final conference standings, and the top seed in next week's NEWMAC playoffs.

Mount Holyoke finishes the season with an 8-11 record overall, 1-8 in NEWMAC play.

Babson outshot Mount Holyoke 54-7, including a 46-0 difference in the first half, as the Beavers built a 6-0 lead before intermission. Babson continued to control the game in the second half but slowed the pace, outshooting the Lyons by only an 8-7 margin over the final 30 minutes.

The Beavers had a 10-0 edge in penalty corners in the first half, 14-4 for the game.

Mount Holyoke junior Rachel Katzenberg (Reisterstown, Md.) allowed eight goals over three quarters but tallied a career-high 25 saves in 45 minutes of action. Senior captain Leah Manning (Durham, N.H.) tended goal in the fourth quarter and gave up one goal.

First-year Linnea Alsted (Crownsville, Md.) added three defensive saves and finished the regular season as the NEWMAC's overall leader in that category, with nine, all tallied over the final five games of the season. Junior captain Sophia Guziewicz (Enfield, N.H.) had two additional defensive saves of her own.

Graduate student Laurissa Montigny (Enfield, Conn.) got loose on a breakaway in the third quarter and took both of the Lyons' two shots on goal in rapid succession, but was stopped by Babson goalie Bayla Furmanek on both shots.