BABSON PARK, Mass.— Juniors Chris Berry (Chevy Chase, Md.) and Casey Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) combined for seven goals and two assists, classmate Cam Wietfeldt (New Canaan, Conn.) won 9-of-12 face-offs, and sophomore goalie Alec Delgado (New Vernon, N.J.) made 14 saves as No. 2/2 Bowdoin College handed No. 6/6 Babson College its first loss of the season, 12-8, in a battle of undefeated men's lacrosse teams Tuesday evening at MacDowell Field.

Babson, ranked sixth in Division III by the US Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and USA Lacrosse Magazine, dropped to 8-1 overall while second-ranked Bowdoin, which rallied from a 4-2 halftime deficit, improved to 7-0 on the season.

Sophomore Andrew Almquist (Wakefield, Mass.) was outstanding in the Babson goal, making 15 saves. Graduate student Joey Allen (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored three goals and senior Bennett Smith (Lake Oswego, Ore.) added a goal and two assists for the Beavers. Senior Tyee Ambrosh (Danvers, Mass.) caused three turnovers and scooped up three ground balls, and grad student Mason Dorr (Concord, Mass.) collected three ground balls in the setback.

Berry scored five goals and caused three turnovers, Ryan tallied two goals and two assists, and senior Sam Raye-Steiner (Chatham, Mass.) contributed two goals and an assist. Sophomore Alex Choi (Roslyn, N.Y.) won 7-of-11 face-offs, and junior Luke Bernasek (McLean, Va.) caused a pair of turnovers and grabbed four ground balls in the victory.

In a defense-minded first half, the Beavers outscored the Polar Bears 2-1 in each quarter. Sophomore Grayson Ambrosh (Danvers, Mass.) and senior Seamus Rooney (Bay Shore, N.Y.) sandwiched goals around one by Troy Ulisney (New Market, Md.) in a three-minute span midway through the first quarter. Berry tied the score at 2-2 five minutes into the second frame before Allen buried a man-up goal for Babson with 7:39 on the clock and grad student Patrick McAleavey (Trumbull, Conn.) followed with a goal with 2:44 remaining as the hosts took a 4-2 lead into the intermission.

The Polar Bear offense came alive in the third quarter with four straight goals in the first seven minutes. Berry fired in a man-up goal, Ryan potted his first of the night, Raye-Steiner followed with one just 72 seconds later, and junior Ryan Winters (Sudbury, Mass.) capped the rally with a man-up goal to give Bowdoin a 6-4 lead with 7:53 remaining in the third quarter.

After Allen stopped the bleeding for the Green and White with his second goal with 6:42 to go, grad student Beau Burns (Washington, D.C.), who played the last four years at Bowdoin before transferring to Babson, won the ensuing face-off and ripped a shot past Delgado 11 seconds later to deadlock the score at 6-all. Berry (man-up) and Allen traded goals later in the third before Berry and Ryan went back-to-back to give Bowdoin a 9-7 advantage heading into the final frame.

Smith scored the first goal of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 9-8, but that's all the Beavers could muster against a tough Bowdoin defense, and senior Will Lesko (Villanova, Pa.), Berry and Raye-Steiner tacked on goals for the Polar Bears to secure the victory.

Bowdoin finished with a 50-40 advantage in shots (27-22 in shots on target), and won the ground ball battle by a slim 33-30 margin. Key stats were the Polar Bears winning 15 of the 23 face-offs and going 4-for-6 on extra-man opportunities while holding Babson to 1-for-3.

Babson returns to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday at Salve Regina at 7 p.m. Bowdoin returns home to host No. 13/8 Amherst in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play on Saturday at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• Babson is 3-24 all-time against Bowdoin in a series that dates back to 1978.
• After three victories, the Green and White dropped their first game against a ranked team this season.
• The Beavers had their 12-game winning streak at MacDowell Field snapped and lost at home for just the second time in 16 games dating back to the start of last season.
• Rooney extended his point streak to 28 games going back to last season, and Smith has at least one point in all nine outings this spring.