BRUNSWICK, Maine — After opening up the season with five consecutive wins, including three NESCAC victories, the fifth-ranked Williams College field hockey team dropped a 1-0 result against No. 15 Bowdoin Sunday afternoon at Howard F. Ryan Field.

Junior goalkeeper Ellie Smith made four saves for the Ephs (5-1, 3-1 NESCAC), including three enormous stops in the final two minutes of the second quarter to keep the game scoreless going into halftime. First-year Hannah Herlihy placed an outstanding long ball through the air from the Ephs' defensive end onto the stick of senior Haley McAuslin on the right edge of the circle in the 20th minute. McAuslin fired a shot that went wide left of the net.

The Polar Bears (4-1, 3-1 NESCAC) found the back of the net during the 36th minute, as Jayna Khatti played a ball to Ella Davies on the right attacking side of the field. Davies sent a long ball into the circle, and then Hannah Balmelli redirected the pass into the back of the net.

"It was a tough one today," said 27th-year head coach Alix Barrale '93. "We fought until the end. We struggled executing our corners. Ellie made some key saves throughout the game. We came up short in the end, but will learn and grow from this loss."

With just under two minutes left in the first half, Clara Noyes fired a ball into the circle for Bowdoin, and then Smith denied Fei Yang-Sady's two shot attempts from deep in the circle. In the final seconds of the opening half, Smith rose to the occasion again, denying a tip attempt by Balmelli.

Each team posted seven shots, respectively, while the Polar Bears held a 5-2 advantage in shots on target. McAuslin, Herlihy and sophomore Katie Sigrist finished with two shots, respectively, while Williams held a 5-3 lead in penalty corners.

The Ephs compete against Union on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Schenectady, New York.