MEDFORD, Mass. — Senior Claire Gavin (Durham, Conn.) scored a pair of goals in the first three minutes of the game and seventh-ranked Tufts University went on to a 3-1 win over No. 6 Babson College on Tuesday night at Ounjian Field.

The Beavers suffered their third loss to a top-10 opponent this season and fell to 5-3 overall while the Jumbos won their fifth straight game and improved to 6-1 on the campaign.

Senior Jessica Evans (Southbury, Conn.) scored a second-quarter goal for the Green and White and classmate Camille Marsh (Englewood, Colo.) registered an assist. Senior Bayla Furmanek (State College, Pa.) made six saves in the loss.

Sophomore Reagan Malo (Sudbury, Mass.) also scored for the Jumbos and junior Hannah Biccard (Cape Town, South Africa) recorded an assist. Junior Lydia Eastburn (New Hope, Pa.) made one save in goal for Tufts to register the victory.

Just two minutes into the game between these non-conference rivals, Tufts senior Kayleigh McDonald (Somerset, Mass.) knocked down an aerial pass by Babson at midfield. Her ball got through to Biccard down the middle, who then broke into the circle and passed to an open Gavin on the left side. She slid a hard shot into the cage with 12:51 on the first-quarter clock.

Just moments later, graduate student Andrea DelGiudice (Bedford, N.H.) made the defensive play to start a Tufts rush. Again it was Biccard who made the pass to Gavin, who broke in on Furmanek. Gavin's first shot was saved, but the rebound was right there to send home and Tufts led 2-0 just two and a half minutes into the game.

Babson regrouped and would earn three consecutive corners five minutes into the first quarter. However, Tufts defended them well with junior Gabby Sousa (West Roxbury, Mass.) twice blocking shots and clearing them out of danger.

The visiting Beavers would gain an advantage in the second quarter and score just two minutes in. Babson sophomore Caroline DiGiovanni (Harwich, Mass.) collected a loose ball and sent it over to Marsh outside the 23-meter line. She zipped the ball into the heart of the circle where Evans got free for an open shot and scored. The Beavers would out-shoot Tufts 4-0 in the second quarter, but the game went to half with the Jumbos still leading 2-1.

In the third, Tufts would be awarded four corners and took nine shots. However, Furmanek made five saves in the period and it remained a 2-1 game.

Into the fourth, Malo scored her first collegiate goal to give the Jumbos a two-goal margin. Biccard was the catalyst again, taking a restart at midfield and driving a long pass through three defenders to Malo in the circle. Malo turned and fired a shot that was blocked, but retrieving the ball near the end line on the right side she took another shot which deflected into the air and got past Furmanek with 7:33 remaining.

Tufts finished the game with advantages of 16-8 on shots and 4-3 in corners.

The Beavers return to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Friday at Wheaton at 7 p.m. The Jumbos travel to play NESCAC action at Wesleyan University on Saturday at 12 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers had a four-game winning streak over Tufts stopped and are now 8-23 all-time against the Jumbos in a series that dates back to 1994.
• Babson is 8-5 since the start of last year against top-20 opponents and 5-5 against top-10 foes.
• Furmanek's six saves match her second-highest total in a game this season.