First-year
Rex Lane tallied
a hat trick in his collegiate debut and the Bates men's soccer team rolled to a 9-0 win over Maine Maritime Academy Tuesday afternoon at Russell Street Field.
Lane (Orlando, Fla.) recorded all three of his goals in the first 28 minutes of action. With Bates (1-0) already leading 2-0 in the 14th minute, Lane made a brilliant defensive play in the backfield. He intercepted a pass intended for MMA goalkeeper Matthew Castella and beat him one-on-one for an open net goal.
Less than a minute later, Lane struck again. The Bobcats took the ball away from the Mariners (0-3) and senior captain Owen Keleher (Corrales, N.M.) directed a pass just a little bit beyond Lane's reach. Castella came out to smother the ball but it deflected back to Lane who picked up the loose change for the brace.
Lane saved his most spectacular goal for last. In the 28th minute, first-year Tife Agunloye (Monroe, Conn.) dribbled the ball hard down the far side and crossed it for Lane, who executed a no-look back-kick for the goal, stunning the Mariners and completing the hat trick. It's the first hat trick for a Bates men's soccer player since Nate Merchant
'18 tallied one against Maine Maritime in 2016.
Lane wasn't done.
On Saturday, he found the back of the net and again to lead the Bates men's soccer team past the Hamilton Continentals by a final score of 1-0 at Russell Street Field.
In the 52nd minute, junior Bobby Dall (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) won a battle for the ball on the near sideline close to midfield. He dribbled the ball for a few paces and passed it ahead to team captain
Alec Szwarcewicz (Newton, Mass.). Szwarcewicz beat one defender for possession and played it through to the far side for Lane.
Lane took two steps then directed the ball with his left foot to the lower left corner of the net for his fourth goal of the young season.
