LEWISTON, Maine– For the first time since 2019, the Bates men's soccer team is headed back to the NESCAC tournament. The Bobcats officially secured the No. 8 seed following a dramatic 1-1 tie vs. Colby in their regular season finale Tuesday night at Russell Street Field.
After a scoreless battle for nearly 90 minutes, Colby broke through at 89:02 when first-year Santi Canencio Moren found the back of the net. With just seven seconds remaining, Bates senior Wilson Smith capitalized on a loose ball in the box to score the equalizer.
The home team outshot Colby 15-11, including a 6-3 advantage on target. Sophomore goalkeeper George Nassar recorded two saves in the draw.
The Bobcats (7-5-3. 3-5-2 NESCAC) will travel to Medford, Massachusetts on Saturday to face top-seeded Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinal. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Bates dropped a 2-0 decision on the road vs. the Jumbos back on Oct. 11 in the squads' previous meeting.