Bobcats take Babson to OT, fall 2-1

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- The Bobcats put in a determined, focused effort, but eventually fell to the Babson Beavers 2-1 in the first overtime period at MacDowell Field on Sunday afternoon.

Bates struck first in the opening period, as junior Sarah Merullo (Essex, Mass.) pulled the ball out of a scramble in front of the cage and ripped a drive toward the lower left corner. Babson junior goalie Jess Pashos managed to get the tip of her stick on it, but the ball tipped inside the left post for the game’s first goal at 20:37.

After the goal, Bates continued to dominate play in the first half. The second half saw a surge in offense by Babson, yet Bates still had numerous chances to add to its own score. Most notably, about halfway through, junior Lyndsay Beaton (West Newbury, Mass.) took a shot from the top right side of the circle that struck the upper far post. With about five seconds to play in regulation, sophomore Riley Kundtz (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) narrowly missed a tip-in with a diving effort off the far post.

Babson had several chances to tie the game in the second half, but Bobcats senior goalie Katie McEnroe (Hockessin, Del.) made several outstanding saves to keep the hosts off the board. She made a tremendous kick save on a drive toward the right corner in the 52nd minute, and then denied another bid from in front of the cage less than six minutes later. McEnroe's best save of the day came with just under 10 minutes to go in regulation, when a Beaver fed the ball to a wide-open teammate in the middle of the circle. The Beavers’ star rookie ripped a shot from point-blank range, but McEnroe came charging out of net and made a sprawling save to preserve the Bobcats’ lead.

The Beavers did score in the 63rd minute of play, beginning with a hard shot from the right side that was saved by McEnroe. The rebound kicked out to the middle of the circle, where a waiting Beaver shot into an open cage to knot the game at 1-1 with 7:33 remaining in regulation.

Both teams had great scoring chances in the overtime period, including two just 23 seconds apart. A Babson foward had an open look from the top of the circle that was denied by a kick save from McEnroe at 72:23, and after Bates took the ball the length of the field, the Beaver keeper made a nice kick save on a shot by Bates junior Lyndsay Beaton (West Newbury, Mass.) at 72:40.

After earning their third penalty corner of the overtime period, Babson finally clinched the victory in the 83rd minute. The ball was inserted to the top of the circle, where the hitter dished a pass to a teammate on her left. The two then executed a give-and-go that resulted in an open look from the top of the circle, where the game-winning goal was generated at 82:44.

Katie Mc Enroe played a stellar game in goal and the defense did a good job keeping Babson's attack in check. Although a “W” would certainly have been the preferred outcome, the Bobcats are proud of their continued improvements, determination, & attention to details on the pitch.

The Bobcats will take on their next opponent, the University of Southern Maine, tomorrow at 5 p.m. on their own turf. You can catch the action via live video streaming at First Team Broadcasting's Bates website. Go Bobcats!