MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Playing in their first NESCAC semifinal as a program, the No. 3 seed Bates field hockey team struck first, but ultimately fell 2-1 to No. 4 seed Williams Saturday afternoon on the campus of Middlebury College.

The No. 7 nationally ranked Bobcats (12-5) will now wait to see if they earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The selection show is set for Sunday at 10:30pm eastern time and can be watched online.

On Saturday, Bates got on the board in the 20th minute of action. Sophomore Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg (Winchester, Mass.) received a pass in the middle of the shooting area, juggled the ball with her stick while moving to the left, turned and guided a bouncer past the Williams keeper for a 1-0 Bates lead.

The Bobcats maintained their lead over the Ephs (11-6) for three quarters, but Williams managed to score twice in the final 15 minutes to secure the come-from-behind win. Williams earned a penalty corner in the 52nd minute and Molly Hellman tallied the equalizer on an assist by Anna Miller. 

Then, with no time remaining on the clock, the Ephs took advantage of another penalty corner. Bates had just stopped a scoring chance on a spectacular diving save by sophomore Kaili Jacobsen (Fairfield, Conn.), but on the re-start, the Ephs scored the game-winner when Pilar Torres found Kiki Higgins for the 60th minute tally.

Jacobsen made six saves in the cage for Bates and senior Molly Harmon (Farmington, Maine) recorded a pair of defensive saves.

The Bobcats held the lead for the majority of the contest despite being out-shot 18-5. The Ephs also earned 14 penalty corners to just two for the Bobcats.