MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Bobcats scored first but Tufts' Kylie Rosenquest scored two goals and added an assist to lead the third-ranked Jumbos to a 4-2 victory over the Bates field hockey team in NESCAC action at Ounjian Field on Saturday afternoon.
Bates (4-4, 1-3 NESCAC) was upset-minded, scoring the first goal of the game on a stroke and then closing the gap to 3-2 in the third quarter. However, Tufts (5-1, 3-0 NESCAC) had answers each time the Bobcats earned some momentum.
Early action saw Tufts' Gillian Roeca use fancy stickwork to set up Rosenquest, but her shot was wide. At the other end, some activity in front of the Jumbo cage earned a stroke for Bates and Kami Lambert (Augusta, Maine) converted for a 1-0 Bobcat lead less than five minutes into the game.
The Jumbos responded quickly. Roeca and Rosenquest connected quickly, with Rosenquest scoring her first of the game just 33 seconds after the Bates goal to tie the score. Then on a corner opportunity, Rosenquest fed Sophie Schoeni for a shot that zipped inside the left post for a 2-1 Tufts margin with six and a half minutes to go in the first.
Tufts earned four corners overall in the first half, and late in the period a shot by Jumbo Reegan McCluskey was stopped by Bates defender junior Caroline Grady (Westwood, Mass.) keeping the score at 2-1.
The Jumbos extended the margin to 3-1 just 80 seconds into the second quarter. Rosenquest was at the right post during a corner opportunity to knock in her second of the game.
A busy third quarter saw Bates junior goalie Grace Biddle (State College, Pa.) excel as she made five saves. Her first save of the third came on a hat trick bid by Rosenquest just a minute and 10 seconds in. Then with Tufts down a player due to a yellow card late in the period, the Bobcats earned a corner. Senior captain Riley Burns (Sterling, Mass.) swept in a rocket shot from the top of the circle off the insert from senior captain Ashton Bayle (Wayne, Pa.). Suddenly it was a 3-2 game heading to the fourth.
Again, Tufts didn't wait long to respond. Two minutes into the fourth, Roeca sent a pass across the crease that hit a Bobcat stick and trickled to Beth Krikorian on the left side and she scored for a 4-2 Jumbo margin.
In the final minute, a Bates corner opportunity was turned into a stroke after the officials discussed. However, Tufts junior keeper Sam Gibby made the save on Burns' shot.
Tufts finished with advantages of 17-7 in shots and 8-1 in corners. Biddle made eight saves for Bates, while starter Andie Stallman and Gibby both had one for the Jumbos.
The Bobcats are back in action Sunday when they visit Trinity. The action gets underway at noon.
