BABSON PARK, MA – The University of Rochester field hockey team saw its exceptional season come to a close on Saturday afternoon, falling to #7 ranked Babson College in the 2nd Round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.
 
Rochester concludes its season with a 17-6 record, while the Beavers improve to 19-3 overall and will play in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Sunday.
 
The Yellowjackets, ranked #18 in the latest NFHCA Division III poll, were able to hang tough with the highly-ranked Beavers throughout the contest.
 
Babson held a 1-0 lead at halftime, thanks to a 25th minute goal from Berit Sharrow off a penalty corner sweep shot from the edge of the circle.
 
Rochester, meanwhile, was limited to just one shot in the opening 30 minutes, coming off the stick of Zoe Conomikes at the 4:34 mark of the first quarter. At the break, Babson held an 8-1 shot advantage and took all four of the corners during the half.
 
The Beavers continued the offensive pressure in the third quarter, boosting their lead to 2-0 with another late quarter goal off a penalty corner. This time, Caroline DiGiovanni recorded the score, deflecting a hard shot off the stick of Sharrow from the right wing inside the left post, past goalkeeper Kara Houston.
 
Houston kept the Yellowjackets in the game though, making eight total saves in the contest, finishing one shy of her season-high.
 
The Yellowjackets got back into the game though with a strong start to the fourth quarter. In the opening two minutes, UR earned just its third corner of the game and converted it into a goal, cutting the deficit to one.
 
Mara Heppard inserted the ball across the circle. A slip pass along the outside came through to Delainey Hebble who one-timed a shot towards the goal. Lesley Leatherman, one of UR's players camped in front of the cage got a stick on it and redirected the ball inside the right post. The goal was her first of the season and second of her career.
 
The goal seemed to energize Rochester, as the Yellowjackets kept up the offensive pressure over the next few minutes.
 
A key steal in Babson territory by Anya Arseneau generated a fast-break chance for Rochester, leading to a one-timer shot by Conomikes in the circle that was sent just wide. UR earned a pair of penalty corners following the attempt, but the Babson defense thwarted the scoring opportunities.
 
The Beavers tallied a key insurance goal two minutes later.
 
DiGiovanni notched her second of the game, and fifth of the season in the 52nd minute, chopping in a bouncing ball of another penalty corner right side shot by Brianne McGrath.