LEWISTON, Maine -- Sophomore Molly Wagner (Longmeadow, Mass.) and junior Kim Alexander (Cumberland, Maine) each scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the Bates College women's soccer team to a 3-0 defeat of the University of Southern Maine Wednesday at Leahey Field.

Wagner got the Bobcats (7-3) on the board less than six minutes into the game, receiving a back pass from Alexander 35 yards in front of the USM goal and booming a shot high and inside the upper right corner of the net. The goal seemed a bit of a surprise to everyone, including Wagner.

"I wasn't thinking too much about that shot, but sometimes you're better off that way," said Wagner.

Bates held the one-goal edge well into the second half, until the 69th minute, when Alexander wended her way through the Huskies' penalty area before muscling past a USM defender and pushing a shot past goalie Mindy Morneault's far side.

Wagner teamed up with defender Meg Coffin (Westford, Mass.) on a free kick for a third goal with fewer than three minutes left in the game. Wagner's free kick from near the right corner twisted toward the USM goal, and the 6-foot-1 Coffin was the first to get a head on it, redirecting the ball into the upper left corner.

Bates had 25 shots on goal to seven for USM. USM goalie Morneault (Eagle Lake, Maine) stopped nine shots, while Nini Spalding (San Francisco) had two saves for Bates.

Bates is scheduled to play at Wesleyan University Saturday at 11 a.m.

SCORING:

BATES -- Molly Wagner (Kim Alexander), 5:48

BATES -- Kim Alexander (unassisted), 68:31

BATES -- Meg Coffin (Molly Wagner), 77:06

GOALIE SAVES -- USM 9 (Mindy Morneault 90 minutes, 3 GA), Bates 2 (Nini Spalding 90 minutes, 0 GA)

SHOTS -- USM 7, Bates 25

CORNER KICKS -- USM 2, Bates 7

FOULS -- USM 5, Bates 8