BOX SCORE

BABSON PARK, Mass. - The Babson College field hockey team scored twice in the final ten minutes of regulation to claim a 2-0 victory over visiting Bates College in a brilliantly played contest at MacDowell Field on Thursday night. With the win, the Beavers, ranked 17th in the nation by the NFHCA, improved to 4-0 on the season, while the Bobcats suffered their first defeat to fall to 1-1.

Both teams played magnificent defense throughout the contest, which remained scoreless through the first 60 minutes. Babson nearly grabbed the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but Bates sophomore keeper Katie McEnroe (Hockessin, Del.) made a tremendous kick save on a hard shot by sophomore Colleen Kelly (Milton, Mass.). The Bobcats followed with a golden opportunity of their own when they were awarded a penalty stroke with 28:20 remaining, but the ensuing bid went just wide of the right post. Babson then had another excellent chance at 27:20 when senior co-captain Nicole Cemelli (Towaco, N.J.) made a move around McEnroe on a breakaway, but junior midfielder Heidi Judkins (Farmington, Maine) came up with a huge defensive save, knocking Cemelli's shot wide of the right post.

Babson finally jumped in front on a penalty corner with 9:12 remaining, as Kelly collected a pass at the top of the circle, made a move around a charging defender, and unleashed a rocket that deflected into the far left corner of the cage. Bates then had a chance to tie with a penalty corner of their own with 5:30 on the clock, but Beavers' junior defender Alyssa L'Bassi (Shrewsbury, Mass.) made an outstanding block on junior Samantha Rothkopf's (Chicago, Ill.) drive from the top of the circle to preserve Babson's 1-0 lead.

The Beavers put the game out of reach with a perfectly executed penalty corner with 1:35 left in regulation. After sophomore Sarah Fredlund (New Preston, Conn.) inbounded the ball, Cemelli  left it for senior Karin Dietz (Troy, Mich.), who blasted a shot just inside the left post to give Babson a 2-0 lead. Bates would not threaten in the final 90 seconds as the Beavers came away with the hard-fought 2-0 victory.

McEnroe and Babson first-year Jessica Pashos (Winchester, Mass.) were both stellar in their respective nets, as each finished with five saves.