Box Score BABSON PARK, Mass. – Senior captain Amy Festa recorded a hat trick to lead the Babson College women's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over visiting Smith College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest at Hartwell-Rogers Field on Saturday afternoon. With their third win in four games, the Beavers improved to 7-6-1 overall and 4-2-0 in league play, while the Pioneers sink to 5-7-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the NEWMAC.
 
Babson took the lead on a penalty kick with just 21 seconds remaining in the first half. After a Smith hand ball in the box, Festa placed the ensuing PK just under the crossbar on the right side for her team-leading seventh goal of the season at 44:39. The Beavers had enjoyed the majority of scoring chances prior to that point, including sophomore Jessica DiPhilippo's header wide of the right post off a cross from classmate Avika Shah at 13:31 and another short-range header by DiPhilippo that was corralled by Pioneers' keeper Cody Norris (Auburn, Mass./Auburn) at the 35-minute mark.
 
Smith tied things up early in the high-scoring second half, as first-year Lily Eriksen (Seattle, Wash./Bush School) took a through-ball from classmate Jordan Houston (Logan, Utah/Logan) on right side of the box and sliced a perfect bending shot inside the far post at 49:52. Festa then nearly broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, but her shot from the top of the box ricocheted off the crossbar and senior captain Ashley Tourso's follow-up went wide of the left post.
 
The Beavers finally moved ahead to stay in the 65th minute, beginning when Shah took a short pass from Tourso and sent a ball down the right sideline. First-year Nikki Beatham then chased it down and hit a beautiful sliding shot from 20 yards out that sailed over Norris and curled inside the far post at 64:25. It was the first goal of Beatham's collegiate career, and it would prove to be the game-winner.
 
Festa tacked on a pair of insurance goals down the stretch, starting with an unassisted tally at the 70-minute mark. With a pair of defenders on her, Festa created space deep along the left sideline and sent a ball all the way across the goal mouth, off the far post, and in for her second of the day and a 3-1 Babson lead at 70:08. She then completed the hat trick in the final few minutes of regulation, as she headed in a goal off back-to-back feeds from DiPhilippo and Tourso for her third of the afternoon and ninth of the season at 87:36.
 
Babson sophomore Melina Kapotsis made two saves to earn the win in net for Babson, improving her record to 6-3-0 on the year. Norris went the distance in defeat for Smith, finishing with seven stops in each half for a total of 14 saves.