LEWISTON, Maine -- The eighth-seeded Bates field hockey team was unable to stand in the way of No. 1 nationally ranked and undefeated Middlebury on Saturday in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament, as the host Panthers defeated the Bobcats 4-0 for their 43rd straight home victory.

The Panthers (16-0) advance to the NESCAC semifinals for the 10th straight time and will host the semifinals and finals next weekend. 

Bates (7-9) lost by a 4-0 score at Middlebury for the second time this season; the Panthers have won their games by the same margin on the average (4.00). Four days after clinching their playoff berth with a 5-1 win over Colby, Bates acquitted itself reasonably well against the heavily favored hosts. Middlebury outshot Bates 14-4, in contrast to its average shot advantage this season of 22.4-3.8.

Middlebury had a great chance to get on the board with just 52 seconds expired. Grace Murphy sent a pass to Isabel Chandler who had her back to Bates junior goalie Grace Biddle (State College, Pa.). Chandler spun around and backhanded a shot on goal, but Bates junior Caroline Grady (Westwood, Mass.) was there to make a defensive save for the Bobcats and keep the game scoreless. 

The Panthers took a 1-0 edge at the 2:57 mark. Meg Fearey sent a pass to Erin Nicholas, who turned and tucked the ball inside the right post. 

Middlebury had possession in its offensive end for almost the entire second quarter, but a strong Bates defense did not allow the Panthers to get a shot off as the hosts headed into the break with a one-goal lead. 

With a player down, Middlebury made it 2-0 at the 34:49 mark after a penalty corner. Joan Vera sent a pass to Nicholas, before Nicholas slipped the ball past Biddle for her team-leading 19th tally of the season. Just 19 seconds later Bates looked to get on the board when sophomore Molly Harmon (Farmington, Maine) carried the ball down the right side and sent a cross across the circle, but there were no teammates there to tap it in. 

The Panthers increased their lead to 3-0 with 48:32 expired. An initial shot by Audrey Lazar was denied by Biddle, before Chandler one-timed the rebound into the back of the cage for her eighth marker of the year. Middlebury scored the final goal of the game at the 50:15 mark when Lazar tipped in the ball after a scramble in front of the cage. Bates had back-to-back shots in the final four minutes of play, but were unable to score as the Panthers held on to the 4-0 final. 

Grace Harlan earned her fourth shutout of the season, while Biddle made two saves in goal for the Bobcats.