Patrick Grater '08 scored for the first time this season.

LEWISTON, Maine -- Nick Cantone scored twice in less than two minutes to lead the Trinity College men's soccer team past Bates College 3-1 in a NESCAC men's soccer contest on Sunday.

Trinity improves to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in NESCAC play; Bates drops to 1-3-1 overall and 0-3-1 in the NESCAC.

Trinity scored all three of its goals in a seven-minute span of the first half. Junior Dan Kupper (Wethersfield, Conn.) started things off in the 16th minute by fielding a clean shot from off the ground following a Bantam corner kick by senior Jonathan Hayes (Peabody, Mass.).

Cantone made a brilliant play in the 21st minute, barely beating a Bates defender to a loose ball on the left wing and poking a low, hard shot inside the near post and past senior goalkeeper Robert Wesley-Munro (Walpole, Mass.) for a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Chris Doran (Wayland, Mass.) was credited with the assist. Cantone struck again 108 seconds later on an assist by first-year Peter Marlette (Buffalo, N.Y.) for a quick 3-0 Trinity lead.

The stunned Bobcats regrouped and played a much better second half, following an 11-5 deficit in shots taken in the first half wit a 12-2 shot advantage in the second half. The Bobcats exerted particularly tough pressure on Bantams goalie Spencer Durland in the final 10 minutes of the game and created several excellent chances to score.

They converted one of those chances in the 88th minute, as senior forward Patrick Grater (Mystic, Conn.) followed the rebound of a Brent Morin shot by taking the ball from a Trinity defender and striking it past Durland for his first goal of the season.

Wesley-Munro started in goal for Bates and made three saves. Senior Aaron Schleicher (Londonderry, N.H.) played the second half and made one save.

Junior Zac Trudeau (Norwell, Mass.) started in goal for Trinity and made one save; Durland played the second half and made four saves.

Trinity will next play on Sept. 26 at Western Connecticut State; Bates has a game at MIT on Sept. 27 at 4 p.m.

BOX SCORE: Trinity 3, Bates 1