Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College soccer team's furious comeback fell just short in a 3-2 defeat to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Babson College on Saturday afternoon.  

The loss was the fifth in a row for Smith, who drop to 1-5, and 0-2 in the NEWMAC.  Babson won their sixth consecutive game, improving to 7-1-1, and 2-0 in NEWMAC play.  It was the fourth loss in five that came by a solitary goal for the Pioneers.

A slow starting game revved into action when the Beavers scored twice in the span of two minutes.  A defensive miscue by Smith left the ball at the feet of Stefani Paulinelli, who beat Pioneer 'keeper Lindsey Gregor (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast) from the edge of the box at the 17:00 mark.  Babson made it 2-0 shortly thereafter - Mike Cucullo forced Gregor into a save, and from the resulting corner kick, Amy Festa headed home at the near post.

Babson carried their 2-0 lead into halftime, holding a 9-2 lead in shots.  Festa got her second goal and Babson's third five minutes into the second half when Jessica DiPhilippo played a pass through the penalty area, and Festa was on hand to tap it in.   Babson would need it as well, as Smith would proceed to press for the rest of the half. 

The Pioneers kept attacking, and were rewarded with 13 minutes to go.  Meredith Peck (Plymouth, N.H./Holderness School)'s shot rebounded off the post, and when the rebound fell to her feet, she slid the ball to Ellie Theurer (Gainesville, Fla./Oak Hall) who hooked over the head of Babson goalie Lisa Wojnar to cut the lead to 3-1. 

Smith set up a nervy finish 10 minutes later, when Kaitlin Johnson played a pass over the Babson defense to Theurer, who beat the offside trap and slid the ball past Wojnar for her second goal of the game and made it a 3-2 game with 2:30 left to play.  The Pioneers pressed for an equalizer, but could not beat Wojnar again.  Babson had only given up three goals in their previous eight games before this contest.

Gregor made four saves for Smith, the most critical of which was a stop on DiPhilippo in the 66th minute when she closed down the Babson striker on the edge of the area to keep the game at 3-0.  Wojnar made three saves for Babson.

Smith will return to action when they host Westfield State on Wednesday, September 28 at 4 p.m.  Babson will be off until October first, when they host WPI in a NEWMAC contest at 1 p.m.