MIT Women’s Soccer (13-3-1, 6-2-1) fell on the final day of the regular season in a 1-0 loss to Babson College (11-6-1, 6-2-1) in Wellesley, Mass., on Saturday afternoon.

The result saw Babson draw level with MIT on 19 points in the final conference standings in a tie for second place. With the head-to-head tiebreaker, Babson earned the first round bye in the upcoming NEWMAC tournament and the No. 2 seed. MIT gets the No. 3 seed, matching the program’s highest ever seed, and will host Wellesley College on Tuesday, Nov. 2 on Roberts Field.

Despite the loss, MIT finishes with its best conference record ever at 6-2-1.

Babson got off to a quick start in the match, scoring in the fourth minute and was able to hold on for the slim victory, despite being outshot by MIT 17-8 overall and 10-2 in the second half.

The loss ended a tremendous run for MIT, which had not trailed in a game since Sept. 7 against Worcester State – its Sept. 25 loss to Springfield College came in sudden death OT in a game in which MIT never trailed. The team had been undefeated for eight games – one short of tying a program record -- and had seen its NSCAA regional ranking rise to No. 6. It had also shutout four straight opponents matching the program record for the second time this season. Even with the 1-0 loss, MIT, which started the week as statistically the No. 8 defense in the nation, ends October having surrendered only two goals.

Despite having its shutout streak snapped, the MIT defense of senior captain Monique Squiers, senior Claire DeRosa, sophomore Andrea Park, freshman Sam Fleischmann, as well as freshman Kaitlyn Nealon should be credited for holding a very aggressive Babson attack at bay.

Goaltender Meghan Wright, who entered the week No. 10 in the country in shutout percentage and No. 11 in goals against average – even with yesterday’s goal still only a miniscule .36 – made four saves in the loss, including a point blank diving save late in the game that kept Babson within one goal and another tremendous leaping effort in the first half that pushed a Babson shot just over the crossbar.

Senior captain Lauren Hernley led the attack with four shots from her midfield position. Junior forward Alisha Lussiez managed three efforts on net, as did sophomore center midfielder Steph Cooke. Andrea and Allison Park were next with two shots a piece. Allison had perhaps the best scoring chance of the game when she one-timed a slotted ball from the middle of the box and hit a shot just over the net.

The midfield was busy and active throughout and got contributions from senior Sarah Vega, sophomores Leslie Meyer and Merricka Livingstone, as well as freshman Rachel Dias Carlson.

Sophomore forward Emily Kuo created some good scoring chances up top. Sophomore forward Alix de Monts came in off the bench, as did freshman striker Michaelann Rodriguez.

Player of the Match

Babson College is known for their fast and aggressive flank attack so the outside backs had to work very hard on the afternoon to keep MIT in the game after going down early. Left back freshman Sam Fleischmann played the whole 90 minutes and spent much of it faced with Babson speediest forward. She also pushed forward into the attack when she could and had a great scoring chance when she took a shot from about 25 yards out the Babson’s keeper just saved. She was named Player of the Match by the team.

For the first time in Patriots history, a former player is on the Herman Trophy pre-season list. Greer Barnes, who played for the Patriots 87' team for 5 years, and went on to play at West Virginia University was announced by the NSCAA as a player to watch this year. Greer is entering her senior year, and was voted an NSCAA All American last year.

When you look at some of the players on the list, it makes it even more remarkable, as there are a number of US National Team players on there.

It's a great moment for both Greer and the Patriots.

2008 Women's Hermann Trophy Watch List Announced
Returning finalist Lauren Cheney of UCLA and 2006 recipient Kerri Hanks of Notre Dame highlight 47 of the best women's Division I intercollegiate soccer players that comprise the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2008.

Cheney was one of three finalists for the award in 2007 after leading UCLA to an outstanding season. A member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, she is joined on the list by North Carolina's Tobin Heath, a teammate in Beijing. The first sophomore to win the award, Hanks has the opportunity to become the fourth player to win the Hermann Trophy twice, bu t the first to achieve the feat in non-consecutive years. The others who won it – Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow and Christine Sinclair – all did it in back-to-back fashion.

North Carolina is one of three teams that have three players on the list (including 2006 finalist Yael Averbuch). along with Penn State and reigning NCAA champion Southern Cal. Ten other schools have two players each on the list: Connecticut, Florida State, James Madison, Notre Dame, Portland, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, West Virginia and William and Mary.

Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. They will invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.

2008 Women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List
 

2008 Women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List
Name                             Pos         Yr.          School                Hometown
Marisa Abegg                  D           Sr.        Stanford Lake     Oswego, Ore.
Kristin Arnold                   K          ]Sr.        Texas A&M          Centennial, Colo.
Yael Averbuch                 M           Sr.        North Carolina     Upper Montclair, N.J.
Greer Barnes                   D          Sr.       West Virginia        Rye, N.Y.
Brittany Bock                   F           Sr.        Notre Dame          Naperville, Ill.
Kiki Bosio                        F            Jr.         Santa Clara         Mission Viejo, Calif.
Zoe Bouchelle                 M           Sr.        Penn State          Cockeysville, Md.
Jenny Bradfisch               K           Jr.         Purdue                Carmel, Ind.
Lauren Cheney               F           Jr.          UCLA                   Indianapolis, Ind.
Amanda Cicchini             M           Sr.         West Virginia       Oakville, Ontario
Dani Collins                    M          Sr.         William and Mary  Cream Ridge, N.J.
Amanda DaCosta           M          So.       Florida State          Katonah, N.Y.
Gina DiMartino                F          Jr.         Boston College      Massapequa Park, N.Y.
Christina DiMartino         M         Sr.       UCLA                      Massapequa, N.Y.
Becky Edwards               D          Jr.       Florida State           Downingtown, Pa.
Michelle Enyeart             F           Jr.        Portland                 Hernet, Calif.
Kim Germain                   M          Sr.        James Madison        McLean, Va.
Kerri Hanks                     F          Sr.         Notre Dame           Allen Texas
Tobin Heath                    M         Jr.          North Carolina        Basking Ridge, N.J.
Lauren Hyde                  D          Jr.          Florida                    Carmel, Ind.
Jaimel Johnson              K           Sr.         Tennessee               Dayton, Ohio
Nikki Krzysik                   D          Sr.         Virginia                    Clifton, N.J.
Stephanie Labbe           K           Sr.          Connecticut            Stony Plain, Alberta
Katie Larkin                   F           Sr.          Brigham Young        Draper, Utah
Kelly Lawrence              D           Jr.          Indiana                   Chigwell, England
Stephanie Logterman   D            Sr.         Texas                      Austin, Texas
Edel Malone                  M           Sr.        Hofstra                       Ennis, Ireland
Nikki Marshall                D            Jr.         Colorado                 Mead, Colo.
Kasey Moore                 D           Jr.         Texas Mission           Viejo, Calif.
Alyssa Naeher               K           Jr.          Penn State               Seymour, Conn.
Ashley Nick                    M          Sr.          Southern Cal            Monrovia, Calif.
Casey Nogueira             F           Jr.          North Carolina            Raleigh, N.C.
Yolanda Odenyo            M          Sr.          Oklahoma State        Uppsala, Switzerland
Kelley O'Hara                 F           Jr.          Stanford                    Fayetteville, Ga.
Kristin Olsen                  K           Jr.         Southern Cal              Lake Forest, Calif.
Carrie Patterson            F           Jr.          Georgia                      Atlanta, Ga.
Lorraine Quinn               M          Sr.         Duke                          Farmingdale, N.Y.
Elli Reed                         D          So.         Portland                     Park City, Utah
Amy Rodriguez              F           Sr.         Southern Cal               Lake Forest, Calif.
Kylee Rossi                   F            Sr.         Tennessee                  Pennington, N.J.
Malorie Rutledge           M           Jr.          Louisiana State           Sharpsburg, Ga.
Katie Schoepfer             F           Jr.          Penn State                 Waterford, Conn.
Brittany Taylor               D           Sr.        Connecticut                 Campbell Hall, N.Y.
Cate Tisinger                 F           So.        James Madison             Clifton, Va.
Ingrid Wells                   M          So.        Georgetown                 Upper Montclair, N.J.
Claire Zimmeck             F            Sr.        William and Mary          Fairfax, Va.
Emily Zurrer                  D           Sr.        Illinois                          Vancouver, B.C.