MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Bates College men's lacrosse held a 6-5 lead midway through the third quarter, but Middlebury College closed the game on a 5-1 run to take a 10-7 win on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
After the Bobcats (4-6, 1-6 NESCAC) took a 6-5 lead off a goal from junior Conor Henrie (Lexington, Mass.) at the 8:36 mark of the third period, the Panthers (5-5, 4-3 NESCAC) netted three goals in the remainder of the period and added another two in the fourth quarter after Bates pulled within 8-7.
Jack Rautiola notched three goals for the hosts – with all three coming inside of the last 17 minutes. Jack Cleary posted two goals while Harrison Goodkind won 13-of-21 faceoffs (61.9 percent).
For the Bobcats sophomores Jack Allard (Ridgewood, N.J.) and Charlie Hildebrand (Berwyn, Pa.) each recorded two goals and an assist.
Bates gained a 2-0 lead after the first quarter courtesy of goals from junior Matt McReddie (Rye, N.Y.) and Hildebrand before Middlebury tied the game at 2-2 just less than four minutes into the second stanza off tallies from Tim Giarusso and Chase Clymer.
The two sides traded a pair of goals for the remainder of the second quarter for a 4-4 score at the half. The Panthers' Brian Ayers scored in between goals from Hildebrand and Allard, and Middlebury's Cleary concluded the half's scoring at the 1:02 mark.
Allard put the Bobcats back up 5-4 just under two minutes into the third quarter before Cleary netted another goal to knot the score at 5-5. Henrie then found the back of the net to give Bates its 6-5 lead.
The Panthers responded with three straight goals from Stephen Seymour, Jon Broome, and Rautiola to capture an 8-6 edge with 1:43 to play in the third period. Bates first-year Kyle Weber (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) answered with a goal with 34 seconds left in the frame to cut the deficit to 8-7.
Rautiola registered his second goal of the game just over six minutes into the fourth quarter and deposited an insurance goal with 1:48 to play.
Middlebury goalie Nate Gaudio made 13 saves in the win while Bates senior Charlie Kazarian (Providence, R.I.) stopped 11 shots in the loss.
Next, Bates hosts Tufts on April 15 at 7 p.m. while Middlebury plays at Springfield on Wednesday.
