BABSON PARK, Mass. --  The third-seeded Clark University men's lacrosse team dropped a 13-8 decision to second-seeded Babson in semifinal round play of the 2021 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference tournament Saturday evening at MacDowell Field.

The host Beavers (4-0) advance to take on top-seeded Coast Guard in the NEWMAC championship game next Saturday, as the Bears posted a 20-4 triumph over fourth-seeded Wheaton in Saturday's other semifinal matchup.  The visiting Cougars conclude their campaign at 2-2 overall.

Clark took the early lead on graduate Jack Mandracchia's (Melrose, Mass.) goal, but Babson netted six straight tallies that included a hat trick from graduate Sean Smith (Pasadena, Calif.) to grab a 6-1 first quarter advantage.  The Beavers extended that margin to 10-4 at the break and took a 12-5 cushion into the final 15 minutes of action, as the Cougars closed back to within five markers three times in the second half but got no closer.

Senior Lee Sipes (Windham, N.H.) and sophomore Chi Chi Price (Hingham, Mass.) each added goals on the night for Babson, which received 10 saves in net from senior Mac Mowat (Bellevue, Wash.). 

Senior Jacob Brandes (Chappaqua, N.Y.) notched a hat trick in the setback for Clark, which received two tallies each from Mandracchia and graduate Chris Rasco (Huntington, N.Y.) as well as a single marker off the stick of junior Steve Caione (Wingdale, N.Y.).  Junior Ryan Mickelson (Mattawan, Mich.) recorded 14 saves in net for the Cougars, who received 14 faceoff wins from graduate Bobby Philbin (Ridgefield, Conn.).

The Beavers held a 46-37 overall edge in shots (27-18 on goal) for the contest, as the hosts forced 25 turnovers and held a 36-30 advantage in ground balls on the evening.