Bates College

Junior goaltender Charlie Kazarian made 12 saves -- several of which required cat-like reflexes -- and allowed only five goals in Bates’ 7-5 win over No. 17 nationally ranked Wesleyan on Saturday, the Bobcats’ third straight win against the Cardinals and their third straight victory this season.

Kazarian (Providence, R.I.) had some late-game heroics beyond making saves. A non-releasable one-minute penalty called against Bates with 1:04 left in the game immediately put its 7-5 lead into jeopardy. But Wesleyan unleashed two shots that sailed wide, the second of which Kazarian was the first to track out of bounds, giving Bates a critical possession. Kazarian soon found himself isolated with the ball in front of his goal, with a single Wesleyan attacker advancing on him. But the Bates goalie faked out the Cardinal before releasing the ball up the middle for Bates’ final clear, enabling the Bobcats to run out the rest of the game clock.

Kazarian also earned the goalie win in Bates’ 14-9 defeat of the University of New England, making eight saves against four goals allowed. On the week he recorded a save percentage of .690 and a goals-against average of only 5.26.

Bates (3-2) has won three games in a row for the first time since 2010, and the Bobcats entered the NEILA Division III New England Top 10 rankings this week at No. 5.