SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College field hockey team impressed despite losing for its second straight game on Saturday, falling 2-1 to No. 6 nationally ranked Babson College in a NEWMAC game on the MHC Turf.

Mount Holyoke (4-5, 0-2 NEWMAC) flirted with an upset one week after doing the same in a 2-1 loss at MIT. Babson (7-1, 2-0 NEWMAC) has topped Mount Holyoke in 10 straight times, and by a combined score of 43-5 over the previous six meetings.

Babson outshot Mount Holyoke by a 21-3 margin, including a 18-1 difference through three quarters. Penalty corners were 8-1 in the Beavers' favor.

After a scoreless opening 24 minutes, Babson took the lead with 5:18 remaining in the first half. On a penalty corner, Anna Bonazzoli's initial shot hit the post. The ball came out to Penny Baroni, who batted a perfect shot inside the far right post for her seventh goal of the season.

Babson doubled its lead three minutes into the third quarter. After Mount Holyoke senior goalie Ainsley Gruener (Topsfield, Mass.) saved Grace Mullaney's shot on a fast break, the ball came out to Taylor Shoflick, who resent the ball toward the right post. Ashley Braren was in the perfect spot to redirect the ball into the cage for a 2-0 lead and her first goal of the year.

Mount Holyoke halved the difference with 4:11 remaining in the game. Sophomore MJ Owens (Fairfield, Conn.) drove past a defender into the circle and shot across her body. Madison Tibbals saved the shot, but the rebound came back to Owens and she buried it for her team-high fifth goal of the season, closing the gap to 2-1. Owens took all three of the Lyons' shots on the day, putting all three on goal.

Gruener made five saves for Mount Holyoke, and Tibbals made two for Babson. Mount Holyoke junior defender Linnea Alsted (Crownsville, Md.) made two defensive saves, giving her three on the season.

Next Saturday at 1pm, Mount Holyoke will host Wheaton College, while Babson visits Trinity College.