Smith College Athletics

BABSON PARK - Babson College knocked the Smith College lacrosse team out of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) First Round as the Beavers topped the Bears, 14-7, Saturday afternoon on MacDowell Field.

The fourth-seeded Beavers improved to 11-6 overall and will head to top-seeded MIT on Wednesday evening for a NEWMAC Semifinal game. Fifth-seeded Smith's season comes to an end with an overall record of 10-8. 

Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) finished the day with three goals and one assist for Smith, while Jenna Paczkowski (Jupiter, FL/Choate Rosemary Hall) registered two goals. Sanders also accounted for a team-best seven draw controls. Meanwhile, Courtney Laden added six goals for the Babson.

Laden opened the scoring at 13:54, securing her 29th goal of the season. Jen Austin extended Babson's lead to 2–0 with a free position goal at 9:59 before Tatum Sands capitalized on a player-up opportunity to make it 3–0 for the Beavers. The Bears responded with Jenna Paczkowski (Jupiter, FL/Choate Rosemary Hall) scoring her 18th goal of the year at 3:50. Before the end of the quarter, Jenna Wong added another goal for Babson, concluding the period with a 4–1 lead for the home team.

The Beavers scored three unanswered goals to start the second period before Paczkowski converted a free position at 11:31 for Smith. Despite Smith's efforts, including a goal by Layna Fitzgerald (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) at 4:13 and a late score by Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) at 0:28, Babson maintained control with additional goals by Jen Austin and Bedard, ending the quarter at 9–4 in Babson's favor.

In the third quarter, Babson extended its lead with Laden scoring at 12:51 and Bedard adding another goal off a free position shot at 11:26. The Bears responded as Sanders found the net twice, first at 8:47 and again at 4:25, bringing Smith's total to six. Despite Smith's efforts, Babson maintained a five-goal advantage by the end of the quarter. The period featured several turnovers and missed opportunities, with shots hitting the post for both teams.

Smith managed to open the fourth quarter with a goal from Kyra Hawk (San Jose, CA/The Harker School), assisted by Sanders, at 10:50, narrowing the score margin. However, Babson responded quickly with a player-up goal by Hailey Murray, assisted by Wong, at 9:46. Laden then extended Babson's lead with two more goals, the latter coming with just 37 seconds left, assisted by Bedard. The Bears struggled with turnovers throughout the quarter, while the Beavers capitalized on their opportunities to secure a 14–7 victory.

Smith Top Performers
Caroline Sanders (Orange County, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic)
----------------------
- 3 goals
- 1 assist
- 7 draw controls

Jenna Paczkowski (Jupiter, FL/Choate Rosemary Hall)
----------------------
- 2 goals
- 1 player-up goal

Leigh Hillmanno (Yardville, NJ/Princeton Day School)
----------------------
- 3 caused turnovers
- 1 ground ball

Ellie Dye (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove)
----------------------
- 4 ground balls
- 2 caused turnovers

Brooke Testa (Pittstown, NJ/Delaware Valley)
----------------------
- 15 saves
- 5 ground balls

About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.