NORTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) field hockey team was defeated by the visiting No. 9 Babson College, 8-1, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference action at Nordin Field in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons fall to 3-11 overall and 1-4 in league action, while the Beavers, who are ranked in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association national poll, win their seventh straight contest to improve to 11-3 and 5-0. 

The Beavers outshot Wheaton 36-2 and attempted 18 penalty corners to the Lyons' four.

Babson junior Andrea Marguerite (Hopkinton, Mass.) had a four-point day with a goal and two assists, while junior Marissa Halkett (Patterson, N.Y.), sophomore Ellie Powers (Bethlehem, Pa.) and first-year Ally Antonacci (Skillman, N.J.) each scored once for the Beavers. First-year Josie Ashton (Chatham, N.J.), who replaced sophomore Bayla Furmanek (State College, Pa.) with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game, stopped the only shot she faced in her collegiate debut.

Wheaton senior Gabby Monfredo (Worcester, Mass.) had a goal and sophomore Delia Knox (Cumberland, Maine) picked up an assist for the Lyons.

The Lyons finished with 17 total saves as junior goalkeeper Emma Lapreziosa (Bowdoinham, Maine) had 14 in three quarters of action before classmate Neilee Hess (Franklin, Mass.) collected three saves in the final quarter. Sophomore Lydia Gaudreau (Gorham, Maine) and first-year Abby Miller (Andover, Mass.) each contributed a defensive save in the loss.  

McGrath opened the scoring just 2:56 into the contest when she dribbled into the circle and ripped a shot past Lapreziosa to give the Green and White a 1-0 advantage. Marguerite was at the back post to tip-in a shot by sophomore Jessica Evans (Southbury, Conn.) 3:47 into the second quarter and McGrath put away a rebound in front less than three minutes later for her team-leading 11th marker to make it 3-0.

Halkett tallied her first goal of the season with 3:56 to go before halftime and the Beavers broke things open by scoring four times in the span of nine minutes in the third quarter. Powers beat Lapreziosa with a rocket following a penalty corner just 1:45 into the period for her first career marker and Rose  for the first of her two goals just under two minutes later to extend the Babson lead to 6-0.

Rose drilled a one-timer into the back of the Cage with 9:04 to go in the stanza and Antonacci capped the flurry by scoring on a breakaway for her first career goal with 4:06 remaining in the quarter for an 8-0 advantage. 

Wheaton broke up the shutout bid early in the fourth though as Monfredo redirected a shot by Knox for the final margin.

The Lyons return to play when they travel to Cambridge, Mass. No. 12 Massachusetts Institute of Technology on in NEWMAC action on Tuesday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m., while the Beavers are back in action on October 16 when they host the University of New England at 1:00 p.m