Nini Spalding '08

Molly Wagner '08

Molly Radis '10

LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College women's soccer team played one of its best games of the season, giving NESCAC-leading Tufts University all it could handle in a 1-0 loss Saturday.

Tufts sophomore Cara Cadigan (Nahant, Mass.) scored in the eighth minute and it stood up as the Jumbos raised their overall record to 6-1 and their conference mark to 4-0. Bates falls to 1-7 overall and 0-5 in NESCAC play.

Cadigan gathered the ball from sophomore Ali Maxwell (Exeter, N.H.) near the top of the penalty area and threaded a shot through the Bates defense and into the top middle of the Bates goal.

Bates built a slight 13-12 advantage in shots taken in the game. Bates senior Nini Spalding (San Francisco, Calif.) made seven saves and Tufts goalie Kate Minnehan (Hopkinton, N.H.) made six of her own.

Both teams had several scoring opportunities, with most coming in the first half.

Tufts senior Martha Furtek (East Falmouth, Mass.) had a shot saved by Spalding in the third minute and tried to knock in the rebound, only to have a Bates defender clear.

In the eighth minute, Bates senior Molly Wagner's (Longmeadow, Mass.) shot hit the crossbar and the right post, but Minnehan saved the ball from crossing the goal line.

With 16:50 left in the half, Bates first-year Kim Suvak (Winchester, Mass.) lofted a ball to sophomore Sarah Kwoh (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who shot and missed wide. Ten minutes later, a succession of passes from sophomore Maayan Cohen (North Middlesex, Vt.) to senior Ali Emery (Richmond, Vt.) to sophomore Molly Radis (Peaks Island, Maine) to junior Amy Werblin (Huntington Beach, Calif.) ended with a shot that sailed just wide.

Tufts threatened to pad its lead with 18 minutes left in the game, as first-year Geneva DeGregorio (Whately, Mass.) high shot arched toward the far post before Spalding caught it for the save.

Bates next plays at Williams on Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.; Tufts will host Brandeis on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.

BOX SCORE: Tufts 1, Bates 0