Box Score CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Smith field hockey team fell to the MIT Engineers, 2-1 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference play Saturday. Marissa Vara (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) scored her 10^th goal of the season to record the lone marker for the Pioneers.

With the win, MIT improves to 10-1 and 5-0 in conference play, while Smith dips to 4-10 and 1-5.

In the opening minutes, Smith goalkeeper Nora Demick (Watertown, Mass/Beaver Country Day) stonewalled MIT's Emily Penn to keep the game scoreless. Nine minutes later, Vara got the Pioneers on the board first in the 12th minute with her tenth goal of the season.

The score remained 1-0 in favor of the visitors until the opening minutes of the second half, as the Engineers responded with Penn's 12^th goal of the season in the 37th minute. The Pioneers had a chance to take the lead in the 39^th minute, but MIT's Evie Kyritsis turned away Casey Rau (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts)'s attempt to keep the score knotted at one.

After Smith's defense successfully cleared five consecutive penalty corner attempts over a six minute span, MIT broke through following the sixth when Penn took a penalty corner from Sarah Fay and Caitlin Mackey to put the Engineers ahead for good with her 13th goal of the season in the 54th minute.

MIT continued to apply pressure after that point, however the Smith defense, highlighted by a defensive save by Rebecca Meagher (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough), kept the contest a one-goal game.

Demick made 10 saves in goal for Smith, posting her fourth 10-plus save output of the season.

Smith will next travel to Amherst on Thursday to take on the No.7 Amherst College Lady Jeffs. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.