LEWISTON, Maine -- Three different Bobcats found the back of the cage and the No. 6 nationally ranked Bates field hockey team defeated Colby 3-2 Tuesday night at Campus Ave. Field. 

With the victory, Bates (12-3, 7-3 NESCAC) matched the program record for NESCAC wins in one season and clinched the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. They are set to host No. 9 nationally ranked Hamilton (11-4, 6-4 NESCAC) this Saturday at Campus Ave. Field. The Continentals are the sixth seed, but are one of just three teams to beat the Bobcats this season -- and the only one to have done so in Lewiston -- having defeated Bates 2-1 on Oct. 5th.

Start time for Saturday's rematch is set for 1 p.m. This marks the second time in the last three seasons that Bates has hosted a NESCAC tournament game. They were also the No. 3 seed in 2023, defeating Bowdoin in a memorable double overtime thriller. 

Needing a win Tuesday to secure a home playoff game, the Bobcats got on the board first thanks to junior captain Haley Dwight (West Newbury, Mass.) in the eighth minute. Dwight took advantage of a free hit and took the ball to the goal line. She drove to the cage and snuck by the defense, finding herself on the doorstep at the near post and finishing off an excellent individual effort for her first goal of the season. 

Bates appeared to be ready to run away with the game when senior captain Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg (Winchester, Mass.) added to the lead in the 23rd minute. 

She received a pass at the top of the circle and ripped a shot on goal that was denied by Colby goalkeeper Ginna Jacoby. But the deflection went right to Moloney-Kolenberg and the senior captain was easily able to score off the rebound for her team-leading ninth goal of the year.

The Mules (6-9, 2-8 NESCAC) did not go away quietly to say the least, battling back with a goal in the 24th minute. They earned a penalty corner and Lily Harrington delivered the insert to Molly Mitchell at the top of the circle. Mitchell fed the ball to her left and Christina Sweeney swept it home to cut the Bates lead to 2-1.

Up by one at halftime, the Bobcats went back up by two in the 38th minute. Moloney-Kolenberg's initial attempt was denied by Colby's Lily Conway, who made a great defensive save at the right post. But senior captain Lucy Norris (Chicago) picked up the loose change and found sophomore Elsa Copeland (Toronto, Ontario) at the left post for an easy goal.

The 3-1 lead held up for a while until a late flurry by the visitors made things interesting down the stretch. In the 56th minute, Colby once again took advantage of a penalty corner. Bates sophomore goalkeeper Ava Donohue (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) did a great job denying the initial look from Sweeney, only for Maddie Campbell to collect the rebound and shuffle it home.

Now down by only one, the Mules continued to put the pressure on, earning a pair of penalty corners in the 60th minute. Donohue made a big save on a shot from Molly Mitchell, and another Mitchell attempt got blocked, as the Bobcats held on for dear life to secure their sixth straight win over the Mules. 

Donohue tallied seven saves for Bates in the victory.

The Bobcats have now won 24 straight games when they score first against their opponent.