MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Junior
Kami Lambert scored a pair of goals and assisted on another as the No. 14 nationally ranked Bates field hockey team earned a hard-fought 3-2 win on the road over Wesleyan Sunday afternoon in NESCAC action.
The Bobcats (7-5, 3-4 NESCAC) defeated the Cardinals (3-7, 1-6 NESCAC) for the seventh straight season.
In the 17th minute, Bates got on the board first thanks to a penalty corner. Junior
Ella Blum (South Salem, N.Y.) delivered the insert to the right side of the circle. Junior captain
Paige Cote (Auburn, Maine) received the pass and ripped a shot on goal that Lambert (Augusta, Maine) tipped into the cage for a 1-0 lead.
But the Cardinals answered right away, earning a penalty corner of their own just seconds after the Bates goal. Helen Deretchin received a pass off the insert and fed the ball to Diana Schwarz in the middle. Schwarz was able to tally the equalizer just 23 seconds after Bates had jumped on top.
Bates struck again in the 21st minute. Cote was able to take the ball away from a Cardinal in the near corner and she crossed the ball perfectly into the circle for Lambert, who one-timed it home for her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Cote's second assist of the day was her 10th of the season, most on the Bobcats.
Up 2-1 at halftime, Bates recorded an insurance tally in the 35th minute. Lambert continued her outstanding game by forcing a turnover and feeding the ball ahead to Blum. All Blum had to do was beat the Wesleyan keeper, which she did for her fifth goal of the season.
The Cardinals didn't back down though, as they cut the Bates lead to one in the 39th minute thanks to Schwarz's second goal of the contest, on an assist from Annabel Cincotta.
Senior goalkeeper
Grace Biddle (State College, Pa.) helped the Bobcats maintain that 3-2 lead with a fine save on a shot attempt from Imani Ochieng with no time on the clock off a penalty corner at the end of the third quarter.
Biddle made two more saves in the fourth quarter, giving her five on the day, and Bates held on for the win.
Audrey Pace made eight saves for the home team.
The Bobcats finished with 22 shots to Wesleyan's eight. 11 Bates shots went on goal compared to seven for Wesleyan. The Bobcats earned nine penalty corners to Wesleyan's four.
Bates is back in action Saturday at 12pm when No. 4 nationally ranked Tufts comes to town.
