BABSON PARK, Mass. -- The No. 15 nationally ranked Bates field hockey team gave No. 3 Babson all they could handle in a tight 3-2 loss to the Beavers Wednesday night in non-conference action.

Babson (5-0) remained undefeated on the season while the Bobcats (3-1) suffered their first defeat.

Babson burst out of the gate and scored the first goal in the first minute of play. Sinead Walsh's shot from the right side was deflected and bounced past the goalie and Caroline DiGiovanni finished off the goal just 37 seconds after the opening whistle. The Beavers kept the ball in the Bates end of the field much of the first quarter and outshot the visitors 5-0. But the Bobcats kept the game close, and Babson had to settle for a 1-0 lead after one.

Bates came alive in the second quarter and got on the board in the 20th minute. Junior Anna Cote (Auburn, Maine) sent the ball into the offensive zone from the right side about five yards outside the circle and senior Kami Lambert (Augusta, Maine) pounded a one-timer past the Babson keeper into the left side of the goal to tie the score at 1-1.

The Beavers regained the lead midway through the second quarter when Bates goalkeeper Kaili Jacobsen (Fairfield, Conn.) kicked the ball out of harm's way, but it went right on to the stick of Walsh, and she fired a shot into the back of the net to give Babson a 2-1 lead.

Bates had a 6-2 advantage in shots in the second quarter but couldn't notch the equalizer and the teams looked like they would reach halftime with the score at 2-1, but Babson had other ideas. Camille Marsh intercepted a pass in the Bates end of the field, carried the ball up towards the goal just inside the 25-yard line and passed ahead to DiGiovanni inside the circle on the left side. DiGiovanni fired a backhander that went under Jacobsen with just 19 seconds on the clock to give Babson a 3-1 lead at the break.

The Bobcats pulled back to within a goal in the fifth minute of the second half when senior Molly Harmon (Farmington, Maine) sent a pass from the 25-yard line to junior Anna Lindeis (New Canaan, Conn.) just inside the circle on the left side. Lindeis ripped a backhander that went through traffic and a screened goaltender into the back of the net to make it a one-goal game again.

Babson had the only three shots over the final 10 minutes of the third quarter but Jacobsen stopped two of them and the other went wide. Babson's Jackie Hill had the best opportunity for either team in the fourth quarter but she was stopped at point blank range by Jacobsen in the 52nd minute. That ended up being the last shot of the game.

The Beavers finished with a 14-7 margin in shots (8-7 in shots on goal) and each team took seven penalty corners. Jacobsen finished with five saves for Bates.

Bates is back in action Saturday at 10am when the Bobcats host No. 7 Williams at Campus Ave. Field.