BABSON PARK, Mass. -- First-year Ellen McCurdy (Weston, Mass.) scored at the 75-minute mark to lead the Babson College Beavers to a 1-0 victory over the visiting Bates College Bobcats in a non-conference women's soccer contest on Thursday afternoon.

With the win, the Beavers improved to 5-4-0, while the Bobcats fell to 1-6-0. Bates lowered its goals-against average to a sparse 1.27 per game.

 

Babson outshot Bates by a 9-2 margin in the first half but had nothing to show for it, as senior goalie Nini Spalding (San Francisco, Calif.) made all four of her saves in the opening stanza.

The Beavers then continued to pour on the offensive pressure early in the second half but didn't break through until the 75-minute mark. With the ball loose eight yards out on the left side, Babson senior Nikki Stier (Deerfield, Mass.) raced in and hit a sliding pass that trickled past Spalding and toward the goal line. Two Bates defenders raced to clear it, but McCurdy got there first to get the first goal of her collegiate career.

 

That proved to be enough for the Beavers, whose midfield and defense surrendered just four shot attempts in the second half and six in the game. Sophomore Sam Scarpato (Weston, Mass.) played all 90 minutes in net for Babson, making two saves to earn her first shutout of the season and seventh of her career.

The Bobcats will play host to Tufts University on Saturday at 11 a.m. as part of Parents and Family Weekend at Bates.

BOX SCORE: Babson 1, Bates 0