LEWISTON, Maine -- First-year Simon Clarke scored his first collegiate goal in the Bates men's soccer team's 3-1 loss to Wesleyan Saturday afternoon at Russell Street Field. 

Clarke (Redwood City, Calif.) headed home a cross from senior captain Owen Keleher (Corrales, N.M.) to give the Bobcats (6-6, 3-5 NESCAC) a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute of action. The lead held for the rest of the first half but the Cardinals (7-2-2, 3-2-2 NESCAC) exploded for three goals in the second half to rally past the Bobcats.

In the 65th minute, Dane Harmaty and Max Hofstetter executed a perfect give-and-go to tally the equalizer. Hofstetter put the ball ahead on the near side to Harmaty and Harmaty slid to tap the ball forward toward the goal, where Hofstetter caught up with it, splitting the Bates defense and left-footing the ball into the lower left corner of the net. 

The Cardinals took the lead for the first time in the 67th minute. Zach Wheeler took a free kick from just outside the box on the right side. He hit it low toward the center of the net where Evan O'Brien went top shelf and one-timed it home, putting Wesleyan up 2-1. 

Wesleyan capped off the scoring in the 82nd minute when Kyle Burbage fired a shot on goal that junior goalkeeper Ryan Manning (Belchertown, Mass.) was able to save. But the ball deflected off Manning to Christopher Textor and Textor buried the ball in the back of the net for the 3-1 lead. 

Manning and his counterpart Liam Devanny made three saves each. The Cardinals recorded 12 shots with seven on goal and the Bobcats tallied seven shots with four on goal. 

Bates is back in action Tuesday at 8pm when the Bobcats host UMaine-Farmington on Garcelon Field.