MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- The fifth-seeded Bates field hockey team won an epic game over fourth-seeded Wesleyan in a sudden-death shootout on Saturday, taking home a 2-1 victory in the NESCAC quarterfinals.

Senior captain Anna Lindeis (New Canaan, Conn.) provided the winning tally in her home state. She initially went to the right against Wesleyan goalie Audrey Pace. But Pace was able to momentarily knock the ball off her stick. Lindeis recovered and took a shot that deflected off Pace to the left. With time running out to score, Lindeis pursued the ball and delivered a back-handed shot with 0.6 seconds remaining, ripping the ball into the right side of the cage and sending the Bobcats (11-5) to the NESCAC semifinals for the second straight season.

The Cardinals (11-5) had a great chance to win the initial best-of-five shootout. Bates missed two of their first three attempts, and Wesleyan made their first two tries, grabbing a 2-1 lead. But then the Cardinals missed three straight tries,  including two that would have clinched the win, while junior Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg (Winchester, Mass.) converted to tie things up at two apiece. With the tally knotted at two after both teams had five tries, the shootout went to sudden death. 

Both teams missed their first attempts in the sudden-death session, and then Wesleyan missed again, setting up Lindeis' game-winner. Lindeis was responsible for two of the three successful attempts for the Bobcats during the shootout.

This was the first shootout Bates had competed in since 2015, and the first they'd won since 1999.

Neither team scored in the opening quarter before Bates got on the board first in the 17th minute of action. Moloney-Kolenberg delivered the insert on a penalty corner to senior Anna Cote (New Gloucester, Maine) at the top of the shooting area. Cote shook a defender and back-handed a pass ahead to Lindeis. Lindeis was able to shuffle it over quickly to senior Maria Femia (Canton, Mass.) and Femia measured up a shot that found the left side of the cage for a 1-0 Bates lead. It's Femia's sixth goal of the season.

But the Cardinals answered right away, tallying the equalizer in the 19th minute. It was their turn to take advantage of a penalty corner. Helen Deretchin's initial shot from the top of the shooting area was a bouncer towards the left post, and Ava Galdenzi, who had delivered the insert, was able to deflect it home, tying the game at one.

Wesleyan was unable to convert on three straight penalty corners at the end of the first half, sending the game to halftime tied at one.

The second half proved to be a defensive struggle, as the teams combined for just three shots.

First-year goalkeeper Ava Donohue (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) made a key save to start the first seven-on-seven overtime period. Then the Bobcats had a golden opportunity, as the Cardinals picked up a pair of green cards, leaving them with just five players. On top of that, the Bobcats earned a penalty corner in the 67th minute. But Pace made a terrific save on an attempt from Cote, keeping the game tied.

The second overtime started just like the first one, with Donohue making a save. Then, with 1:48 remaining, sophomore Haley Dwight (West Newbury, Mass.) made perhaps the play of the year. The Cardinals took a shot that deflected off Donohue and rolled slowly but surely towards the cage. Dwight tried to secure it, but kept rolling, so she dived at the last minute and was able to poke it to the right out of harm's way, just before it would have crossed the goal line for the game-winner. The remarkable defensive save is Dwight's NESCAC-leading ninth of the season.

A late Cote attempt was denied by Pace and the game went to the shootout. 

Pace made five saves on the day while both of Donohue's saves were in the overtime periods. The Bobcats tallied 12 shots, nine on goal, while Wesleyan recorded 11 shots, four on goal. Bates earned eight penalty corners to seven for Wesleyan.

The win avenges a surprising 5-1 loss in the regular season to the Cardinals. Bates heads to Middlebury, Vt. for the NESCAC semifinals next Saturday at 11 a.m., as the Bobcats take on the top-ranked Panthers for the right to play for the NESCAC title.