WATERVILLE, Maine -- The perfect scenario played out for the Bates College field hockey team on Saturday, as the Bobcats mounted a stirring comeback to beat rival Colby College 3-2 before learning they had earned a spot in the NESCAC playoffs as the No. 7 seed.

About an hour after evening their regular season record at 7-7 and improving their league record to 3-6, the Bobcats learned that Amherst was beaten by Williams, 4-2, sliding Bates up into the seventh spot in the conference. An Amherst win or tie would have kept Bates out.

Bates scored three goals in the final 20:34 of the game to overcome a 2-0 deficit Saturday at Bill Alfond Field.

Colby led 2-0 at halftime on two unassisted goals by first-year forward Mary Clare Snediker (New Canaan, Conn.).

Bates fought back and cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Allison Marshall (Princeton, N.J.) with 20:34 left. The Bobcats tied the game when Emily Sampson (Plymouth, N.H.) tallied with 17:22 to go.

Rachel Greenwood (Williamstown, Mass.) scored with 11:14 left in the game, off an assist from Abby Childs (Philadelphia, Pa.) to put Bates up for good.

Bates (7-7, 3-6 NESCAC) will play at No. 2 Middlebury (12-2, 8-1) tomorrow at 1 p.m., in a rematch of last weekend's contest in Lewiston, in which the Panthers prevailed easily, 8-1.

Top seed Bowdoin receives a first-round bye and will host next weekend's semifinals and finals. Other first-round games to be played tomorrow are No. 6 Connecticut College at No. 3 Williams, and No. 5 Tufts at No. 4 Wesleyan.

Bates 0 3 - 3

Colby 2 0 - 2

SCORING:

C: Mary Clare Snediker, 13:23

C: Mary Clare Snediker, 29:46

B: Allison Marshall (Brooke Anable, Erin Chandler), 49:26

B: Emily Sampson, 52:38

B: Rachel Greenwood (Abby Childs), 59:46

Shots: Bates 11, Colby 20.

Penalty corners: Bates 13, Colby 7.

Goalies: Sarah Judice (Bates, 70 minutes, 7 saves); Jamie Enos (Colby, 70 minutes, 6 saves).