Babson College men’s soccer returns to Hartwell-Rogers Field on Saturday, October 17, at 1 p.m. to host Salve Regina University in a crucial New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) clash. The Beavers head into the weekend looking to bounce back and solidify their standing in a tightly contested conference table.
For Babson, the match brings a chance to leverage historic success at home against a conference newcomer while navigating a dramatic run of close matches. Meanwhile, Salve Regina arrives in Babson Park, Mass., searching for traction after a hard-fought draw earlier in the week.
Series History and Familiar Foes
The historical matchup heavily favors the hosts. Babson holds a 10-0-1 all-time record against Salve Regina in a series dating back to 2000. Since the Seahawks joined the NEWMAC prior to the 2023 campaign, the Beavers have gone 3-0-1 against them, a stretch highlighted by a 2-0 victory in the 2024 conference tournament final.
On their home turf, the Green and White boasts a perfect 6-0 all-time mark against Salve Regina. Even so, Saturday marks just the fifth time the two programs have met since 2007. Last year’s encounter in Newport, R.I., on October 18, 2025, ended in a tense 1-1 draw after senior Alexander Yablonovskiy netted an equalizer in the 89th minute off a long pass down the left sideline from senior McKenzy Pierre.
Scouting the Beavers and Recent Form
Babson enters the weekend with a 6-2-4 overall record and a 1-0-2 mark in conference play. The squad is eager to snap a five-game winless stretch following a 1-1 deadlock against Rhode Island College on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Ben Cosentino scored his first goal of the season in the 74th minute during that outing, helping the Beavers outshoot the Anchormen 19-4 before conceding an 85th-minute equalizer.
The team’s offense features balanced contributions. Yablonovskiy, sophomore Connor Hanrahan, and senior Will Lloyd have combined for four game-winning goals this fall. In goal, graduate student Will Devall has started 10 matches, posting a 5-2-3 record alongside a 0.92 goals-against average, a .775 save percentage, and four clean sheets.
Beyond the tactical battle, Babson will honor Will McHugh—widely known as “Wild Will of Westwood”—prior to kickoff. McHugh joined the program in 2014 through Team IMPACT. Living with Lissencephaly, he remains a fixture on the sidelines alongside his parents, Bill and Donna, supporting a program that has reached seven NCAA Tournament appearances over the last 10 years.
Seahawks Search for Momentum
Salve Regina arrives with a 3-5-4 overall record and a 0-2-1 NEWMAC mark. The Seahawks have struggled to find consistent form, winning just one of their last seven matches. They are coming off a 3-3 draw against Emerson on Wednesday night, a game that saw goals from Liam Barnett, Ty Ferris, and Angelo Cervera before they surrendered two tallies to the Lions in a 10-minute span.
Ferris anchors the Salve attack, leading the conference in scoring with eight goals and 17 points, including four tallies over his last three appearances. Goalkeeper Adonis Santiago has made eight starts, maintaining a 1.40 goals-against average and a .767 save percentage with two shutouts.
Conference Standings and Milestones
The NEWMAC table remains exceptionally tight. Babson currently sits tied for fourth place with WPI on five points, trailing MIT (eight points), Coast Guard (seven), and Springfield (six).
The fixture also follows a historic milestone for Jon Anderson ’75. Last Saturday at MIT, Anderson became just the ninth head coach in Division III history to coach 800 games. Anderson ranks second among active coaches and 11th in Division III history with 488 wins, and is 488-211-102 since taking over at Babson in 1986.
Following Saturday’s contest, the Beavers will wrap up their three-game homestand on Wednesday by hosting Emerson College at 6 p.m.
