NORTON, Mass. -- First year forward Karina Contreras (Pawtucket, R.I.) scored the lone goal to give the Wheaton College (Mass.) women's soccer team a 1-0 victory over visiting Babson College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference match on Saturday afternoon at Mirrione Stadium.

The win was the Lyons' first against the Beavers in women's soccer since the 2021 season.

Wheaton improves to 8-7 overall on the season and 4-5 within the NEWMAC. Babson falls to 7-3-5 and a 6-2-1 following today's result.

Contreras scored the only goal for either side on the day, while senior keeper Patricia Bandrup (Poway, Calif.) secured her fourth shutout of the year with nine saves, including two very tough saves to keep the Lyons' opponent off the board. Bandrup now has 13 career blank sheets to tie for sixth on the program's career list, while moving into a tie for eighth with 24 victories. Senior forward Ali Roche (Maynard, Mass.) earned the assist to set up Contreras' goal, and senior winger Kate Wickenheisser (Oxford, Conn.) tied the team lead for shots on goal with two.

Wheaton needed just four minutes to crack the scoring column in the second half. Contreras broke away in the 49th minute with plenty of space on her side of the pitch. A single touch ahead of herself was all she needed to open up the space to shoot, as she floated the ball up and over the Babson goalkeeper for her fifth goal of the season and the first goal of the game for the Lyons.

Now in front, Wheaton tightened up their defense as the Beavers began to increase their pressure on offense. The shots came pouring in, with the visitors finishing with 26, but none proved to be too threatening. Bandrup needed to make only one tough save, palming the ball up and off the cross bar in the 76th minute. Babson was able to win several corner kicks down the stretch, finishing with a total of 12, but none proved too valuable for the visitors as they failed to convert on any of their set pieces.

The Lyons cruised to the final whistle, hemming the Beavers into their own end and controlling the ball in the corner to close out the final minutes of the game. The clock hit the 90 minute mark, and Wheaton was able to come away with the win in its last home regular season game of 2025. 

The Lyons began the first half with a strong tempo to their play. The midfield was doing a held the Beavers in their own half, with senior midfielder Mia Wolfgang (Holliston, Mass.) controlling the pace of play from the center of the pitch. Wolfgang was able to link up with Roche and Contreras at the front of the Lyons' attack, and the home team recorded the first shot on goal in the eighth minute after Roche steered one on target.

The defense bolstered the attack as well, with junior back Maya Thomas (Goffstown, N.H.) forcing a save out of the Babson goalkeeper in the 10th minute. Thomas combined with senior back Arden Ulmer (Henniker, N.H.) to form an abrasive path for the Beavers to follow. Nothing came easy for the visitors, and despite allowing 13 shot attempts, very few would be from within a dangerous area of the pitch. The first half closed with the Lyons trailing in the shot attempt column, but leading with a more accurate four shots on goal. No score came in the opening frame of the match, putting even more pressure on each side before the ensuing second half. 

Wheaton makes the trip south to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. to take on the Bears in a NEWMAC match on Wednesday, October 29 at 6:00 p.m. Babson will also keep it in the conference for its next match, hosting Wellesley College on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.