MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Sam DeLeo '25 and Dylan Green '26 combined for seven goals and five assists as the No. 6 Wesleyan women's lacrosse team built a 15-3 lead on the way to a 15-9 victory over No. 16 Babson in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Sunday from Smith Field. With the win, Wesleyan (14-5) advances to the Sweet 16 where they will face No. 23 Rowan on Saturday at Colby.
 
DeLeo registered a career-high seven points on three goals and four assists while Green finished with four goals, one assist, and a team-high four draw controls. Kiara Tangney '25 scored three goals to reach the 100-point milestone, becoming the 23^rd player in team history to reach 100 career points. Madeline Johnson '28 caused turnover turnovers while DeLeo and Lilly Stoller '26 collected three ground balls each. Izzy Weintraub '26 made six saves with just three goals allowed in 37:30 minutes of work.
 
Babson opened the scoring with a goal from Clara Connolly just over two minutes following the opening whistle before Green tied the score just 39 seconds later. Elle Priesing '26 gave the Cardinals their first lead less than a minute later, but Cameron Rabenold fired in a player-up goal for Babson with 8:11 on the clock to even the score at 2-2.
 
The Cardinals then took over and outscored the Beavers 9-0 over the next 18 minutes. Tangney scored twice and Addie Cummings '26 added one as Wesleyan led 5-2 at the end of the first quarter. Then Wesleyan added six consecutive goals in the second period to extend the lead to 11-2. Green and DeLeo each had two goals in the surge.
 
Amelia Novitch broke the streak of unanswered goals with a player-up goal for Babson with 3:36 to go in the second quarter, but Wesleyan tallied the next four goals, one by DeLeo to end the half, and markers by Mya Waryas '27, Green, and Kyra Browne '26 to start the third quarter as the lead swelled to 15-3 with less than 18 minutes left in the contest.
 
Babson did not go away quietly, scoring the final six goals of the game including five in the fourth quarter, but that's as far as the comeback went and Wesleyan held on for the win.
 
An efficient Wesleyan attack scored on 12 of their 19 shot attempts in the first half while the Cardinals controlled the draws, holding a 15-13 advantage on a Babson team that won 28-of-33 draws on Saturday in the Beavers' First Round win over Worcester State.
 
The Cardinal defense also did well to hold Novitch in check, as the senior attack was coming off a Babson NCAA Tournament record 13-point game against the Lancers yesterday, only to be held to three points the loss.
 
Wesleyan advances to the regional semifinal (Sweet 16) for the sixth consecutive season and will battle Rowan for the first time in program history on Saturday.