LEWISTON, Maine -- The No. 19 nationally ranked Bates men's lacrosse team withstood a late Williams push, getting a final save from Andrew Toland in the closing seconds to secure a 13–12 NESCAC victory Saturday at Garcelon Field.

Williams opened the scoring on Cade Schuckman's goal, but Bates answered with back-to-back strikes from Liam Rule and Henry McCann to take a 2-1 lead. Schuckman scored twice more in the opening quarter—including a man-up goal—to help the Ephs even the score at 3-3 after one.

The Ephs (5-4, 2-3 NESCAC) gained a slight edge in the second quarter. After Connor Hartman tied the game at 4-4, Williams used a quick two-goal burst from Will Doran to build a 6-4 lead. Bates responded with goals from Xander Frey and Jack Goldbach to pull even, but Doran completed his hat trick with 31 seconds remaining to give Williams a 7-6 halftime advantage.

Bates flipped the game in the third. McCann tied it early, and after Williams pushed ahead 9-7, the Bobcats closed the quarter on a 3-0 run. Riley McClure sparked the stretch before Frey and Gray Doyle followed, giving Bates a 10-9 lead heading to the fourth.

The Bobcats extended that momentum into the final period, scoring three straight goals in a 1:39 span. Hartman, Doyle, and Rule all found the net to build a 13-9 cushion with 11:25 to play.

Williams answered with three consecutive goals—including a man-up strike and a late finish from Jack Sartorius—to cut the deficit to 13-12 with 1:56 remaining.

After a Bates turnover in the final minute, the Ephs had one last chance. Ryan Johnson got a clean look with five seconds left, but Toland made his eighth save of the day to preserve the one-goal victory. 

Frey led Bates with three goals, while Doyle added two goals and two assists. The Bobcats controlled possession throughout, holding advantages in shots (51-31), ground balls (59-50), and faceoffs (16-13).

Bates (7-2, 3-2 NESCAC) returns to conference action Wednesday when it hosts Bowdoin at 7 p.m. on Garcelon Field.