Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Senior Kara Stefaniak scored for the second time in as many games to lead the Bates College women's soccer team past the University of Southern Maine, 1-0, at Hannaford Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Stefaniak (Needham, Mass.) – who missed all but one game last season due to injury – shot from 30 yards out with the ball first hitting the crossbar before crossing the line at 82:27. Stefaniak's goal represented the fruition of a number of scoring chances for the visitors as the Bobcats (2-0-0) recorded 19 shots to two for the Huskies (3-2-0) in the game.
With the win, Bates starts the season 2-0 for the first time since 2006 and improves to 29-1 all-time against USM out of the Little East Conference.
Bates pressured the Huskies' back line early in the second half as sophomore Julia Rice (Providence, R.I.) fired a shot off the post and classmate Leah Humes (Beaconsfield, Quebec) followed with a shot above the cross bar in the 52nd minute. About 10 minutes later, junior Nicki Brill (Westport, Conn.) put a shot high off a rebound after a corner kick from sophomore Caitrin Griffin (Geneva, Ill.), and Humes followed shortly thereafter with a dangerous cross that the Bobcats could not convert.
The Bobcats controlled play throughout the first half, outshooting the Huskies 10-1 in the first 45 minutes. Bates put in several chances in the opening 20 minutes with Humes taking three shots during that period. In the 17th minute, Humes put a shot on goal just prior to Rice knocking a shot just wide of the net.
On the game's first corner in the 25th minute, senior captain Julia Rafferty (Reading, Mass.) headed a ball just wide of the target off Griffin's curving kick. Just over seven minutes later, the Bobcats threatened again as Humes headed a bouncing ball toward goal that a USM defender had to clear off the end line.
Next, Bates returns to NESCAC action at Hamilton on Saturday at 12 p.m. before traveling to Brandeis for a game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
