LEWISTON, Maine -- Two years ago, the Bates field hockey team broke the program record for NESCAC wins in one season and finished the year ranked 19th in the country. Then 2020 came and went without a season due to the pandemic. Despite a year without intercollegiate competition, the No. 20 nationally ranked Bobcats return a lot of talent from the 2019 squad. They open their season Tuesday at 7pm against the University of Southern Maine before welcoming conference foe Hamilton to town Saturday at 12pm. 

"Even though we didn't play in 2020, it's not like we lost our program or it's in a different place," ninth-year head coach Dani Kogut said. "We worked really hard in the off-season and so our goal is to come back and be stronger this year than we were in '19. That's been our goal every year I've been here and we've been able to see that progression over time." 

The Bobcats scrimmaged perennial NESCAC power Tufts on Saturday, giving Kogut an early look at how the team is coming together. 

"It's always a little bit different when you're going against an opponent that isn't yourself, so it was a really good opportunity for us to check in on where we might need to make some fine tuned improvements prior to our games this week," Kogut said. "Our fitness level was really good. We definitely could sharpen up a couple of our set pieces, but we're happy given what we did this pre-season."

Senior captain forward Emily Gianunzio (Darien, Conn.) led Bates in goals scored with six in 2019. After taking a leave of absence in 2020, she returns to the Bobcats in 2021. On offense, she is supported by fellow senior forward Bridget Thompson (Newtown, Pa.) who found the back of the net four times in 2019 and also dished out three assists. The experienced group of forwards also features juniors Paige Cote (Auburn, Maine), Sarah Bussell (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) and Kami Lambert (Augusta, Maine). Cote tallied three goals and tied for the team-lead in assists with five as a first-year. Bussell recorded three goals and two assists while Lambert debuted with two goals and one assist. 

"Those players are doing wonderful in the attacking forward half of the field," Kogut said. "We also have a couple of first-years who are showing an incredible amount of gutsy play, which we love to see. It can definitely throw a team off when you can put a player in there who's just going to give you five or seven minutes of all-out play." 

In the midfield, there's no doubt who leads the way. Senior captain Riley Burns (Sterling, Mass.) steps into the crucial center midfield spot that Grace Fitzgerald '20 played so well for four years. Burns has been a big contributor from day one at Bates, finishing 2019 with four goals and two assists. Seniors Meghan Lapar (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and Rachel Paradis (Scarborough, Maine) provide experienced depth for Bates in the midfield to help lead a unit that also features six first-years or sophomores who have never played collegiate field hockey. 

On defense, senior captain Ashton Bayle (Wayne, Pa.) started all 16 games as a sophomore as part of a unit that ranked fifth in the NESCAC in goals against average (1.31) in 2019. She also served as a team captain in 2020, helping Bates navigate a year with no games. Junior Caroline Grady (Westwood, Mass.) brings solid experience to the defense as well.

As a former collegiate goalkeeper, Kogut works a lot with the Bates goalies. She's got a trio of Bobcats to work with this year, all of whom figure to get playing time. Junior captain Grace Biddle (State College, Pa.) played 574:56 minutes in goal in 2019 and recorded a record of 7-2 on the season, ranking fifth in the NESCAC in goals against average (1.15). Senior Ellie Bauer (Denver, Colo) has the most experience, playing in a combined 26 games in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, she made 24 saves while posting a save percentage of 70.6%. Sophomore Emma Volkers (Bethesda, Md.) impressed at the Tufts scrimmage and will make her collegiate debut this year.

"They all did really well at Tufts," Kogut said. "They're going to contribute in different ways this season, but we have really strong goalkeeping. They're definitely unique in how they play, so just finding the right goalkeeper for our defensive style is something that we still need to do, but they all came in strong and ready to go." 

Kogut has a new coaching staff by her side this year, with Morgan DeMann, Ian Wagge, and student coach Amelia Mountford '22 providing valuable support for a program on the rise. The staff is excited to see how the first-years and sophomores adjust to collegiate field hockey. Kogut says the juniors and seniors have provided a great example so far this fall.

"They're really prepared for this season," Kogut said. "They came in in great physical shape and really worked hard over the last year. They've also stayed really in-check with our team values and just preparing mentally for the season ahead. I think they will lead the program in a really special way this year, just really knowing what we're about and how we want to play."