LEWISTON, Maine -- In an emotional and thrilling NESCAC quarterfinal game, the No. 3 seed Bates field hockey team prevailed 2-1 in double overtime over No. 6 Bowdoin Tuesday night at Campus Ave. Field.
With the victory, the Bobcats (12-4) secure their most wins in one season since 1982 and advance to the NESCAC semifinals for the first time in program history. Bates will take on No. 4 seed Williams Saturday at 1:30pm on the campus of Middlebury College.
The No. 7 nationally ranked Bobcats clinched the win in the 77th minute of action. Junior
Anna Cote (Auburn, Maine) weaved through a pair of Bowdoin defenders and got the ball ahead to junior
Maria Femia (Canton, Mass.), who tried an initial shot from the right side of the shooting circle that was denied by hard-charging Bowdoin goalkeeper Julia Arsenault. Femia was able to collect the rebound, pivot and lace a shot into the lower left corner of the cage for the game-winning goal, her eighth tally of the season and third game-winner.
The game was played in front of a capacity crowd at Campus Ave. Field on a night where the Bobcats honored their home city of Lewiston after a tragic week. Bates fans stormed the field in joy after Femia's game-winner.
"I'm really lucky to be surrounded by such a great community," Femia said in a
live post-game interview on Instagram. "I'm not sure we would have gotten through the week without one another. We decided we wanted to play for each other, play for this school, and play for this city. The crowd tonight played a huge role in this win."
The first half was a defensive struggle between the Polar Bears (10-6) and Bobcats. Neither team found the back of the cage, although Bates did earn three penalty corners in the second quarter.
Bates finally broke through in the third quarter. In the 39th minute of action,
Anna Cote pushed the ball ahead on a three-on-two opportunity. She got the ball to first-year
Kate McManaman (Washington, D.C.) on the left side of the circle. The rookie swiped the ball toward the right post, where senior
Ella Blum (South Salem, N.Y.) was waiting for her fourth goal of the season. It's McManaman's second collegiate assist.
Up 1-0 through three quarters, the Bobcats needed to hang on for 15 more minutes to secure the victory. But Bowdoin had other plans.
In the 46th minute, Maddie Mrva delivered a bouncer toward the cage from outside the circle. Caroline Higgins was waiting in the right spot, getting a stick on the ball and redirecting it home for her ninth tally of the season.
All tied at one, the teams continued to battle for the remainder of the fourth quarter. Bowdoin had a chance to win it in regulation thanks to a late penalty corner in the 60th minute. But the Bobcats blocked a pair of Georgie Coetzer shots to send the game to overtime.
In the first seven-on-seven overtime period, both teams earned one penalty corner apiece, but neither could convert on their opportunity. After a concerning fourth quarter that saw the visitors out-shoot Bates 3-0, the Bobcats righted the ship in the first overtime, tallying two shots to Bowdoin's one.
Then the Bobcats took control of the second overtime, firing shot after shot at the Bowdoin cage, five in total. The fifth one found backboard and the Bobcats moved on to the next round.
Overall, Bates out-shot Bowdoin 10-8, with four shots on goal to Bowdoin's two. Arsenault played a really good game for the visitors, making two saves and often denying the Bobcats an opportunity to even get a shot off by charging out of the cage and kicking the ball out of harm's way.
Bowdoin earned five penalty corners to four for Bates, although neither team converted any of their penalty corners into points.
The victory marks Bates' third straight win over Bowdoin after having not defeated the Polar Bears since 1984 before last season.
Gallery: (10-31-2023) NESCACs FH vs. Bowdoin (Theophil Syslo)
