The Mount Holyoke varsity soccer team took on the Babson Beavers at their annual seniors game last Saturday.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
The Mount Holyoke Lyons hosted the Babson College Beavers in their final game of the season. On Saturday, Oct. 28, the Lyons took on a tough competitor. The Lyons took an early lead in the first half of the game, and at the 13-minute mark, forward Minerva Veeser-Bobea ’20 drove past Babson defenders and fired the ball into the back of the net off a pass from Sara Sanaú Ruiz ’18. However, the Beavers rallied in the final six minutes of the game. Maggie McCabe executed a perfect corner kick pass to Julia Lindsay, who headed the ball into the Lyons’ goal. Babson seized the lead off another pass from McCabe to junior Jessica DeLuca for a scrappy goal, scoring two goals to take the 2-1 win.
Reflecting on the game, Dale Leonheart ’19 said, “I think we really moved towards working as a whole unit throughout the season and you could really see it in the way we played against Babson. Our formation, when executed correctly, makes it really difficult for the opponents to get any good shots and Babson couldn’t score until around the 80th minute.” She explained that over the course of the season, “We also got stronger in winning balls out of the air and being aggressive. I think that in the beginning of the season, we were much more timid and maybe a little afraid to go hard into tackles, but the last couple of games have been really intense physically, with everyone going hard.”
Before the start of the game, the Lyons celebrated Senior Day, acknowledging the team’s seven seniors: Sara Sanaú Ruiz, Sophie Manum, Jentrie Grissom, Nicole De Araujo, Moly Hershkowitz, Liz Rose, and Suz Rose. “It was also our senior game, which made the game all the more special,” said Leonheart ’18. “All of our seniors put in really good minutes, and it was great to be able to just enjoy playing good, high quality soccer with them one last time.”
Photos by Ayla Safran ‘19
As the Lyons look ahead to next season, Leonheart said, “We’re losing seven seniors this year, so I think that this spring and next season will be all about rebuilding and reshaping our lineup. We have some really strong first-years that I know are ready to step up. I think we’re all excited to see what happens! We’d love to make (New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) — that’s always the goal. It’s important for us to take our momentum from the last couple of games into the spring season and next fall.”
Despite the loss, the Lyons are looking onward towards next season.