THE BASICS:
 
- Score: No. 12 MIT 4, Johnson & Wales University 1
 
- Records: No. 12 MIT (13-3); JWU (15-1)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Jack Barry Field)
 
- The Lead: Three goals during the second half, including two in the fourth quarter, helped No. 12 MIT top previously undefeated Johnson & Wales University, 4-1, on Monday night. Senior Liberty Ladd (Falmouth, Maine) scored twice for the Engineers while Zofia Bangs produced the lone goal for the Wildcats.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Ladd produced MIT's first goal when she redirected a hard pass from senior Paige Forester (Glencoe, Ill.) at the near post in eighth minute. JWU recorded the equalizer in the 11^th minute after a throughball from Jillian Miele set up a fastbreak by Bangs who slipped the ball past senior goalie Kiely Smiga-McManus (Etna, N.H.).
 
- Both teams almost claimed the lead in the second quarter. On a shot by Ladd, goalie Madison Flaxington made a mid-air save with her stopper at the far post in the 29^th minute. The Wildcats' best opportunity occurred with eight seconds remaining, but senior Laura Schwendeman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made a defensive save on a shot by Haley Budenas.
 
- MIT ended the stalemate almost six minutes into the third quarter. On a penalty corner, a pass by first-year Bailey McIntyre (Concord, Mass.) made its way through traffic to Ladd, who tapped it in right in front of the cage.
 
- JWU threatened to tie the game early in the fourth quarter courtesy of a long run by Miele, but she was swarmed by the Engineers' defense a few feet away from the near post. MIT increased its lead to 3-1 in the 47^th minute after sophomore Alice Zehner (Gladwyne, Pa.) collected the rebound of Forester's saved shot and sent a strike from the near side. Sophomore Anna Simmons (Wilmington, N.C.) capped the scoring by converting a penalty stroke in the 52^nd minute.
 
- The Wildcats' final attempt at net came in the 54^th minute when Emma Ferrara broke through MIT's backline but sophomore goalie Anna Duncan (St. Louis, Mo.) charged to the top of the arc and kicked the ball away.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Smiga-McManus recorded two saves during the first half while Duncan made one during the last 30 minutes.
 
- Flaxington totaled 13 saves as Kaitlyn Freeman earned a defensive save.
 
- MIT had the upper hand in shots (28-5), shots on goal (18-5), and penalty corners (8-1).
 
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- Both teams wrap up the regular season against conference foes later this week. MIT will host WPI on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1:15 p.m. in its NEWMAC finale while JWU will travel to GNAC rival Anna Maria College on Wednesday, Oct. 26 for a 4:00 p.m. game.
 
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