Kaileigh Maguire led Bates with three ground balls against Tufts University on March 25, 2015. (File photo by Kim Lloyd/Bates College)

LEWISTON, Maine - The Bates women's lacrosse team was unable to overcome 11 first half goals from No. 11 ranked Tufts University, falling 17-9 Wednesday night at Garcelon Field in NESCAC action.

The Bobcats (5-5, 1-4 NESCAC) tied Tufts (6-2, 2-2 NESCAC) in the second half, netting six goals, led by first-years Ashton Chryssicas (Wellesley, Mass) and Melanie Mait (Ogunquit, Maine) who led the Bobcats with two goals each. The goals were the first for Chryssicas in her young collegiate career. Bates also took full advantage of the free position opportunities on the day, scoring on four out of five chances for the game.

Six players scored multiple goals for Tufts, led by junior Caroline Ross who had a game-high four tallies, while senior Kali Digate and first-year Taylor Meek each scored three goals. Meek also led the team with a pair of assists. Brigid Bowser, Caroline Kingsley, and Calie Nowak each had a pair of scores for the Jumbos, while Annie Nero had two assists. Tufts scored four out of seven goals on free position chances, along with two man up goals.

Sophomore Joanie Oates (Charlotte, N.C.) put Bates on the board first, less than two minutes into play, scoring on a fast-break up the middle following a Tufts turnover, with a pass from sophomore Kaileigh Maguire (Sudbury, Mass.) The Jumbos wasted no time in evening things up, as Caroline Ross scored less than a minute later. Brigid Bowser followed with her first goal of the day, and Ross netted her second tally with 24:57 remaining to give the Jumbos a 3-1 advantage.

Bates responded when Chryssicas won the ensuing draw and received the sharp entry pass from first-year Annie Duke (Englewood, Col.) to net her first career goal at Bates and bring the Bobcats within one, 3-2.

Tufts scored the only goal during the middle-third of the half, on a free position goal from Ross, but the Jumbos went on to score seven unanswered goals in the final ten minutes before intermission. Bates junior Moriah Greenstein (Glenmont, N.Y.) scored a goal for her team with 25 seconds remaining in the half to set the score at 11-3.

Tufts opened up the second half of play with consecutive goals from Kali Digate and Calie Nowak, but sophomore Sydney Cowles (Wayne, Pa.) found the back of the net on a free-position shot to give Bates their first goal of the half.

Junior Alex Briody (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Mait scored free-position goals for the Bobcats in the second half, with Mait going 2-2 on free-position opportunities. First-year Allie Solms (Bedford, N.H.) closed out the scoring for Bates, hitting a shot as time expired.  

Goal keeper Hannah Jeffrey (Greenwich, Conn.) had nine stops between the posts for Bates, while Rachel Gallimore also stopped nine shots for Tufts. The Jumbos out-shot Bates 34-16 and also had the edge in draw control with 15 to the Bobcats 12. Kaileigh Maguire led Bates with three ground balls, as Tufts had the slight edge in that category 17-14.

Bates next travels to Hamilton College on March 28 for an 11:00 a.m. in NESCAC play.