LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates men's soccer came up just short in a tightly contested NESCAC battle against Bowdoin Wednesday night, falling 1-0 despite peppering the Polar Bears' goal with chance after chance in the second half at Russell St. Field.
Bates (4-4-1, 1-3-1 NESCAC) created three good chances to open the match. Junior
Andrew Jean Baptiste (Montvale, N.J.) forced a save from Bowdoin goalkeeper Oliver King in the sixth minute, while first-year
Finn Coburn (Scarborough, Maine) fired just wide and junior
Zach Perron (Flemington, N.J.) had a shot blocked moments later.
The Bobcats created one more quality chance before halftime, with first-year
Balthazar Liste (Jersey City, N.J.) firing high in the 43rd minute.
Bowdoin (5-1-3, 3-1-1 NESCAC) took the lead early in the second half when Lucas Nuernberg found the back of the net at 49:17. Bates immediately turned up the pressure and laid siege to the Polar Bears' goal. First-year
Alex Hensch (Longmeadow, Mass.) forced a save from King in the 53rd minute, while fellow first-year
Bora Ceranoglu (Milton, Mass.) emerged as the Bobcats' most persistent threat. Ceranoglu fired three shots in a 12-minute span, missing high at 54:26, right at 58:28 and left at 65:31 as Bates searched for the equalizer.
Coburn forced another save from King in the 60th minute, while junior captain
Hewitt Stevenson (Menlo Park, Calif.) and senior captain
Noah Greiff (Washington, D.C.) each sent chances just over the crossbar in the 66th and 78th minutes, respectively. Jean Baptiste forced yet another King save in the 69th minute, and Bowdoin's keeper continued to deny the Bobcats late, turning away a Greiff header in the 84th minute.
Ceranoglu had one final shot sail high in the 88th minute, and sophomore
Danny Burke (Holliston, Mass.) had the final look of the match, sending a shot high with less than two minutes remaining. Despite the late pressure, Bates could not find the equalizer.
First-year Bates goalkeeper
Isaac Kolaczkowski (Beavercreek, Ohio) finished with six saves in net for the Bobcats.
Bates continues NESCAC play Saturday, traveling to Connecticut College for a 2 p.m. match.
