MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a very evenly-played match throughout, the end result came down to a third quarter goal from Brianne McGrath as the No. 9 ranked Babson Beavers took down the Wesleyan field hockey team, 1-0, on Wednesday night from Smith Field. Wesleyan drops down to 3-8 on the season while Babson are winners of six straight, improving to 10-3.
 
Neither side generated much in the way of quality scoring chances in the early going, with possession changing ends throughout the opening frame. Audrey Pace '26 was called into action twice in the first quarter, making a key stop on a straight shot hit with plenty of power from the right wing by McGrath.
 
Diana Schwarz '23 nearly slid home a diving attempt late in the second quarter as she drove with the ball up the field, deep into the Babson defensive zone. She took one final touch around a Beaver defender and with the Beaver goalkeeper Bayla Furmanek coming off her line, she managed to get to the ball first before Schwarz made contact. The ball remained in the arc, falling to Isabelle Benoit '26 who put a shot on-target, that was also denied by Furmanek.
 
Wesleyan had a golden opportunity to take the first just over five minutes into the second half, with Schwarz landing the first shot on-goal. After handling the first attempt, Furmanek came up big again, this time diving to her right to turn aside a Georgia Adams '26 rebound attempt. With the ball still loose, Kenzie Kelly '25 managed a shot on-goal that was saved off the live by a Beaver defender. A fourth and final attempt from in close, this time from Annabel Cincotta '25, was deflected away from trouble as the Beavers withheld a flurry of scoring chances.
 
Just minutes later, Babson converted their chance as McGrath received a pass from Meara Hanyon on the wing off a corner. She wound up and just as Kelly's stick arrived to try and block the shot attempt, the ball took a wicked deflection that went into the upper left corner of the cage, making it past a helpless Pace in goal to make it 1-0 Babson with 5:52 left in the third.
 
Wesleyan pushed for an equalizer, attempting five shots in the fourth (three on-target) but Furmanek was the best player on the field all night, as she tied her career-high with nine saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season for Babson.
 
Pace had a great night herself, managing six saves in goal with the one allowed being an unsavable shot into the upper corner. Babson held a 9-7 edge in corners while shots were dead even at 17 apiece.
 
The Cardinals continue conference play with their final home game of the season on Saturday, playing host to Williams for an 11:30 AM start.