MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Bates men's lacrosse team couldn't quite dig itself out of an early hole in a 14-9 loss to Middlebury Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers (3-3, 3-1 NESCAC) had a strong start to the game, netting the initial four tallies of the contest. Tom Conley opened the scoring, charging the cage from the left side with just 30 seconds expired. William Ryan doubled the lead 1:20 later off a feed from Billy Curtis. Russell Thorndike and Curtis picked up markers 40 seconds apart to push the cushion to 4-0.

Bates (0-7, 0-4 NESCAC) got onto the scoreboard with 7:42 on the clock, as senior captain Jackson Sell (Mill Valley, Calif.) cashed in on a pass to the top of the crease from senior captain Jack Lousararian (Mansfield, Mass.). The teams alternated the next four tallies with the Panthers holding a 6-3 edge at the end of the quarter.

The hosts got off to a fast start in the second frame with William Monroe winning the face-off and scoring his first collegiate goal. The Bobcats kept the Middlebury offense quiet the rest of the half while trimming two goals off the margin. Sell and first-year Tyler Chang (Manhasset, N.Y.) found the back of the net 49 seconds apart. Chang's tally came with 7:09 on the clock and the 7-5 score held until the intermission.

The Panthers extended the lead to five goals (10-5) with three-straight tallies to open the third stanza. Finn McCarthy scored off a turnover, while Thorndike's low shot as he was falling to the ground rolled in with 9:25 on the clock. McCarthy capped the run with a rising shot from the wing for a man-up goal. Bates crept back to within three goals, scoring twice in 10 seconds. Sophomore Jake Johnson (Lake Forest Park, Wash.) netted the first score, while junior Mick Burden (Kenilworth, Ill.) won the ensuing face-off before scoring to close the margin to 10-7.

The Bobcats added a man-up goal 28 seconds into the final frame from junior Malcolm Klingbeil (Powell, Ohio), but Middlebury protected the lead by scoring three of the contest's final four markers to produce the 14-9 final.

McCarthy topped all players with four goals and one assist, while Thorndike chipped in with two scores and one helper. In all, 10 different Panthers scored at least one goal. William Monroe won 10-18 face-offs and scooped up a game-high eight ground balls. Finn O'Connor earned the win in goal with 19 saves.

Sell had the hat trick for the Bobcats with three tallies, while Kingbeil had a pair of scores. Burden went 8-12 on face-offs, while sophomore goalie Spencer Wood (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) finished with 16 saves and tied for the team lead with four ground balls.

Middlebury held a 51-46 advantage in shots and a 39-34 edge in ground balls.

The Bobcats are back in action next Saturday when they host Williams at 1pm.