LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College put a fright into #17 Williams College Saturday afternoon as the visiting Ephs, courtesy of a pair of fourth-quarter goals, eventually pulled away from the host-Bobcats to secure the 13-9 NESCAC women's lacrosse triumph.
With the scored tied at 5-5 after a high-flying first frame, Williams added another five-spot in the second to pull into halftime with a 10-6 advantage. The Bobcats clawed their way back into contention by outscoring its guest, 3-1, in the third to make it 11-9 Ephs heading into the final 15:00 of regulation.
Williams' Paige Nelson netted a man-up scoring effort at 13:24 in the fourth, followed by an even-strength tally at 11:20 by Katy McCullough, to provide the Ephs (8-1, 4-1 NESCAC) some appreciated insurance en route to the conference win.
Claudia Russell shined for the victors with a game-best five goals. Isabel Arvelo and the aforementioned McCullough contributed two apiece for Williams.
Four different Bobcats produced multi-goal showings for the garnet and white.
Caroline Taggart (So.-Concord, Mass.) enjoyed a five-point afternoon with two tallies and a trio of assists.
Hanna Matthews (Jr.-Westwood, Mass.) added a three-point game (two goals, assist) for the home team.
Madie Donovan (Jr.-Cohasset, Mass.) and
Shelby Howard (Sr.-Ashland, Mass.) also poured in a pair for the Bobcats (4-6, 0-5 NESCAC).
Caroline Pratt saved eight shots in the complete-game goalkeeping performance for Williams. Bates' net-minder,
Cammie Lavoie (Sr.-Epping, N.H.), grabbed 13 saves in her 60:00 between the Bobcats' pipes.
Bates now looks forward to Wednesday night as the garnet and white welcomes Bowdoin College to Garcelon Field for a 7:00 p.m. NESCAC showdown vs. its in-state rival.
