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TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) held a 6-1 lead after the first quarter and the Engineers never relinquished the advantage on their way to defeating Babson College 13-7 in a non-league men's lacrosse game at East Campus Stadium. Rensselaer has now won seven of its last eight games to improve to 8-3 on the season. The Beavers fall for the third straight time, dropping to 4-6.

Babson's Niall Dillon (Duxbury, MA / Duxbury) scored the game's first goal just 1:34 into the first quarter to give the visitors an early lead, but RPI went on to score the next seven goals for a six-goal margin. Sophomore Jacob Shavel (Lawrenceville, NJ / Princeton Day) tied the game when he came off the bench, collected a pass while running down the left side and shot into the wide side of the cage at the 10:13 mark. Zach Lukas (Longmeadow, MA / Longmeadow) put the Engineers in front just two minutes later and Oliver Kaija (Woodstock, VT / Woodstock Union) made it 3-1 with a goal off the ensuing faceoff six seconds later. 

Freshman Owen Putman (Ballston Lake, NY / Shenendehowa), who led RPI with three goals and three assists, scored his first of the game and ninth of the season off a feed from JT Kelly (Acton, MA / Acton-Boxborough) at 5:25 and Lukas put RPI ahead 5-1 less than a minute later. Senior Breanainn McNeally (Severna Park, MD / Archbishop Spalding) notched his team-leading 35th goal when he picked up a loose ball and scored from close range with nine seconds left in the opening frame.

The second quarter started with nearly 10 minutes of scoreless action before Kelly finished a feed from Putman for a 7-1 lead. Troy Nanflet (Lakeville, MA / Apponequet) earned his first career goal for the Beavers with 2:42 left in the half for a 7-2 score.

Babson opened the second half with a goal from Austin Fabel (East Rockaway, NY / Lynbrook), but the Engineers countered with three consecutive to build its lead to 10-3 with under 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Putman and Lukas both scored - with assists from each other - and Lucas Bastarache (Wayland, MA / Wayland) had an unassisted goal. The Beavers battled to get within 12-7 with 11:20 to play in regulation thanks to three goals from Dillon and one from Matthew Logan (Downingtown, PA / Downingtown West), but Putman's third of the game with 3:59 remaining on the clock ended the scoring.

An attack, Putman led all scorers with six points, while picking up two ground balls. Lukas, the reigning Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week, had four goals and an assist with 10 shots and two ground balls, while Kelly had a goal and two assists with seven shots and a ground ball. Senior David Gibbs (Stony Brook, NY / Ward Melville) finished with five saves for the Engineers, who had a 39-32 edge in ground balls.

Dillon, a sophomore midfielder, had four points and 10 shots for the Beavers, who got one goal from three other players. Freshman Christopher Aranal (Rockville Centre, NY / South Side) made 13 saves in the first 45 minutes and Jordan Shapiro (Pleasantville, NY / Fordham Prep.) had three saves in the fourth quarter.

Babson is back on the field on Saturday when it hosts Mass. Maritime in a league game at 3pm. RPI hosts league foe Skidmore on Saturday at 1pm.