LEWISTON, Maine—Senior forward Ariel Samuelson (Newton, Mass./Newton North) scored her second goal with 6:23 remaining in second overtime to vault Tufts University over host Bates College 2-1 in a NESCAC women's soccer game on Parents Day Saturday afternoon at Russell Street Field.
The victory supports Tufts' (6-1, 3-1) No. 9 national ranking, tops in New England. Bates (5-2, 3-2) stood at No. 23 in the most recent national poll, No. 3 in New England.
Samuelson's game-winner came on a rebound in front of the Bates goal, after Bates goalkeeper Nini Spalding (San Francisco) deflected Lindsay Garmirian's (Amherst, Mass./AmherstReg.) shot from the left.
The swift forward also scored with 18:18 remaining in the second half, receiving a through-ball from Martha Furtek (East Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) for a breakaway and tucking a shot inside the left post to pull the Jumbos into a 1-1 tie with the Bobcats.
"As I just said to my players, this was just a great game. Both teams were so evenly matched,' said Tufts head coach Martha Whiting. "I'm sure eventually we'll face Bates again."
Bates grabbed a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the game, as junior forward Kim Alexander (Cumberland, Maine/Greely) knocked in a loose ball from close range. Tufts goalie Annie Ross (Newton, Mass./Newton South) was unable to hang onto a looping corner kick from Bates sophomore midfielder Molly Wagner (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow), and Alexander, NESCAC's Player of the Week, converted the rebound for her team-high seventh goal of the season.
Ross collected seven saves in goal for Tufts. Meanwhile, after a quiet first half Spalding saved a total of nine shots for Bates, including two point-blank offerings from Samuelson that temporarily preserved Bates' lead.
"It was a typical NESCAC game - either team could've won it," said Bates head coach Jim Murphy. "We just have to regroup and come back tomorrow."
Bates hosts HussonCollegeSunday at 2 p.m. in the Bobcats' third game in four days.
TUFTS 0 1 0 1 - 2
BATES 1 0 0 0 - 1
SCORING:
BATES - Kim Alexander (unassisted) 13:01
TUFTS - Ariel Samuelson (Martha Furtek) 70:42
TUFTS - Ariel Samuelson (unassisted) 103:34
GOALIE SAVES
Tufts, Annie Ross 7 (103 minutes 34 seconds 1 GA);
Bates, Nini Spalding 9 (103 minutes 34 seconds 2 GA)
SHOTS: Tufts 20, Bates 22
CORNER KICKS: Tufts 5, Bates 4
FOULS: Tufts 3, Bates 9
