BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Elizabeth Holmes (Southborough, Mass.) and sophomore Elise Towers (Cicero, N.Y.) both scored twice as 19th-ranked Babson College defeated visiting Gordon, 5-0, in non-conference field hockey action on Thursday night at MacDowell Field.
With the victory, Babson is now 9-0 on the year for the first time in school history, while Gordon drops to 2-5 overall.
Junior Victoria Spofford (Merrimac, Mass.) finished with a goal and an assist, and classmate Kelsi McDougle (Hopedale, Mass.) recorded her second assist of the year for the Beavers. Senior goalkeeper Kayla Costa (Watertown, Mass.) had to make just one save to post her fourth shutout of the season.
Spofford gave the Green and White a 1-0 lead with her fifth marker of the year just 5:57 into the contest. Despite a 13-0 edge in shots and four penalty corners in the opening 35 minutes, Babson was unable to extend its lead before the break as Fighting Scots junior goalkeeper Shannon Hicks (Scarborough, Maine) turned away five first-half shots.
The Beavers finally gained some breathing room early in the second half when Towers was at the back post to put away McDougle's feed across the goal mouth to make it 2-0 at the 39:24 mark. Babson's continuous pressure then paid off late as the hosts scored three times in the span 3:28 in the final 10 minutes of the contest.
Holmes struck for back-to-back goals just 1:31 apart to make it 4-0 with 7:22 remaining in the game, and Towers capped the scoring with her seventh marker of the season with a little over five minutes remaining.
Hicks made nine saves and allowed just two goals over the first 58:01 before being relieved by first-year Anastasia Landman (Cheswick, Pa.), who stopped two shots over the final 11:59 for Gordon.
Both teams return to action on Saturday at 12 p.m. as Babson hosts Springfield, while Gordon visits 10th-ranked Tufts.
Release courtesy of Babson Sports Info