Senior goalie Aaron Schleicher soars to punch away a Middlebury shot inside the Bates penalty box during the second half of the Bobcats' 1-0 loss. (H. Jay Burns photo)

LEWISTON, Maine -- Stephen Hart scored in the 51st minute to lift No. 11 nationally ranked Middlebury College over host Bates College 1-0 in a NESCAC men's soccer contest on Saturday.

Middlebury raised its overall record to 11-1, 7-1 in conference play. Bates dropped to 4-8-1 overall and 0-7-1 in NESCAC play, and is out of the race for a spot in next weekend's NESCAC Championships.

Hart, a sophomore from Park City, Utah, took a cross from first-year Carson Cornbrooks (Williston, Vt.) and knocked the ball in as Bates scrambled the clear the ball from the area. It was the fourth goal of the season for Hart, who ranks second on the team.

Sophomore Jamie Wheeler got the start in goal for Middlebury, requiring just one save for the shutout. The Panthers held a slight 15-12 edge in shots taken.

Bates senior Aaron Schleicher (Londonderry, N.H.) saved six shots for the Bobcats. Schleicher made several key plays to keep the Bobcats in the game.

Bates created perhaps its best scoring opportunity of the game with 3:50 remaining. Senior Brent Morin (Hanover, N.H.) sent a ball past Wheeler to first-year Dustin DiGregorio (Boxford, Mass.), who shot just wide of the Middlebury goal.

The Bobcats will wrap up their 2007 season with a NESCAC game at Colby next Saturday.

BOX SCORE: Middlebury 1, Bates 0