The Bates College Cross Country Team regained possession of the
coveted State of Maine Championship, held Oct. 5 at Bowdoin. By
winning the title, the Bobcats ended their four-year winless streak in
State of Maine competition, the longest they had ever gone without a
title. The win marked the 19th team championship for the Bobcats
since 1968 and ended a two-year reign by Bowdoin College as team
champs.
The race was tensely anticipated by both teams following last week's
Codfish Bowl competition, won by Bates. Led by All-American James
Johnson, Bowdoin was looking to maintain its place ahead of Bates in
regional and polls. In the end, Bates pulled away from the Polar
Bears to win with 27 points, 17 points ahead of Bowdoin. Colby
followed in third place with 82 points.
Bates' outstanding duo of first-year runner Matt Twiest
(Albuquerque, N.M.) and junior Justin Freeman (Enfield, N.H.) keyed
the Bates attack by setting the pace and winning a great individual
battle with Colby All-American Pat Fournier. Twiest and Freeman
battled with Fournier for the first three miles of the race. Shortly
before the four-mile mark, the Bates duo powered to the lead and
never looked back, with Twiest winning at 26:06 and Freeman in
second at 26:10. Fournier was third at 26:26. Two-time defending
champion Johnson of Bowdoin held off a gutsy performance by Bates
first-year student Mike Danahy (South Windsor, Conn.) to finish
fourth at 27:03. Danahy's time of 27:05 earned him fifth place and
All-State honors along with Twiest and Freeman. The Bobcats closed
out their scoring with first-year harrier Matt Payson (Union, Maine)
and senior Steve Beardsley (Medford, Mass.), placing 9th and 10th
respectively with times of 27:17 and 27:21. Bates' depth was a
significant factor throughout the race. Senior Brian O'Connor (Bethel,
Conn.) and sophomore Al Donahue (Scituate, Mass.) had outstanding
races, placing 13th and 17th respectively. First-year runner John
McGrath's (Merrimac, N.H.)18th place and sophomore Dave Ennis'
(Northfield, Minn.) 20th place performances gave Bates nine finishers
among the top 20. "This was a great race for our program. The team
competed with tremendous intensity and excitement," head coach Al
Fereshetian said. "They continue to learn how to focus on what can
be accomplished. They are gaining in confidence week by week but
remain realistic in the pursuit of our goals."
Up Next:
10/18 Open New Englands at Franklin Park, Mass.
Women's Cross Country Takes Third at State of Maine
Championships
Sophomore runner Adelia Myrick (Kodiak, Alaska) earned All-State
honors for the second year in a row, finishing fourth overall in a time
of 19:19 in a competitive field. The Bobcats finished in third place
overall with 70 points, behind second place Colby and ahead of
Southern Maine. Junior Abigail Phelps finished ninth in 19:41, just
missing All-State. Once again, the Bobcats' next five runners came in
a tight pack taking five of six places from 21st to 27th. Senior co-
captain Ilse Abusambra (Byfield, Mass.), first-year runner Tracy
Lyford (Portsmouth, N.H.), senior co-captain Heather Alcock
(Belmont, Mass.), junior Kimberly Walker (Hampton, N.H.), first-year
harrier Sarah Tomkins (Aspen, Colo.) and junior Erika Cohen (Sharon,
Mass.) all finished within 20 seconds of each other.
Up Next:
10/12 at Bowdoin Invitational
Field Hockey (2-5) Ends Losing Streak
After losing four straight games, the field hockey team twice
bounced back from a one-goal deficit to defeat Gordon College at
home Oct. 3, 3-2, before falling to Williams, 2-0, Oct. 5.
Gordon got on the board first with a goal less than five minutes into
the game. The Bobcats played catch up for the rest of the half before
sophomore Rosie Lenehan (Concord, N.H.), in her second game back at
forward took a pass from classmate Amanda Schall (Chevy Chase,
Md.) and directed it home with seven minutes to go before halftime.
In the second half, the Bobcats had a golden opportunity, as Gordon
was called for a penalty inside the circle, earning Bates a penalty
shot. The Scots' goalie made a spectacular save on Lenehan, though,
turning the momentum briefly, as Gordon scored on their next trip
down the field. The Bobcats responded, and with fifteen minutes left
in the game, Lenehan notched her second goal of the game, poking in
a rebound from first-year midfielder Kate Orellana (Middlebury, Vt.).
As the clock ticked under five minutes, the Bobcats stepped up the
pressure in the Scots' zone and earned a penalty corner. Lenehan
fired the ball to senior captain Nicole Ouellette (Wilmington, Mass.) at
the top of the circle, where she snapped the ball into the cage for the
game-winner. The sophomore tandem of 'Cil Bloomfield (Exeter, N.H.)
and Wendy Zimmerman (Denver, Colo.) combined for six saves in the
win.
In the next game against Williams, the Bobcats played tough against
the once defeated Ephs, but could not generate any offense, losing 2-
0, despite Zimmerman's 10 saves.
Up Next:
10/9 at Maine-Farmington
10/12 vs. University of the South
Football (0-3) Loses to Williams in Home Opener
The Bobcats had the misfortune of playing Williams in its first game
after having its 24-game unbeaten streak snapped. The Ephs took
their frustration out on Bates, dominating the game, 40-7. Williams
scored its first touchdown less than five minutes into the game when
they went hit a 57-yard pass on a crossing pattern on third and long.
Williams would score three more touchdowns to take a 27-0 lead
before the Bobcats got their only score of the game. Senior
quarterback Dan Hooley (Bristol, Conn.) hit senior tight end Jared
Libby (Clinton, Maine) over the middle for a 57-yard TD of their own
with 57 seconds left in the first half. Though the Bobcats were able to
hold Williams to two scores in the second half, they were unable to
generate offense of their own.
Up Next:
10/12 vs. Wesleyan
Golf Ties Hosts for Second at USM Invitational
Behind junior captain Tim Sargent's (Morrisville, Vt.) second straight
top-five finish, the Bobcats finished in second place Oct. 6 at the
University of Southern Maine Invitational. The team tied with the
hosts with a score of 330, 17 strokes behind champions Thomas
College, and five shots ahead of Bowdoin. Sargent finished with a 77,
tying him for third, while classmate Matt Delehanty (Larchmont, N.Y.)
was close behind in fifth with an 80. Rounding out Bates' scoring
were sophomore Jeff Sydner (Glastonbury, Conn.) with an 86 and
junior Simeon Werner (Minnetonka, Minn.) with an 87.
Up Next:
10/15 CBB Championship at Springbrook
Women's Soccer (8-0-1) Stays Undefeated, Arnold Named
NESCAC Player of the Week
The women's soccer team, ranked fourth in New England and 24th in
the nation, extended their unbeaten streak to nine games to open the
season. They played a pair of teams ranked in the top 10 in New
England, defeating No. 6 Gordon, 2-0, Oct. 3 on the road, before tying
No. 3 Williams at home, 2-2.
At Gordon, first-year forward Kate O'Malley (Deephaven, Minn.)
continued her assault on the Bates record book, tallying both goals in
the 2-0 win. After eight games, O'Malley now has 13 goals and 6
assists for 32 points, leaving her just three goals short of Bethany
Maitland's '87 record of 16 goals in a season. Assists came from
senior co-captain Nicole Woodson (Walpole, Mass.) and first-year
fullback Kara Bristow (Albuquerque, N.M.). Sophomore goalkeeper
Suzie Arnold (Falmouth, Mass.) went the distance in goal, making
four saves en route to her second shutout of the season, the other
coming against Tufts, the No. 4 team in New England at the time.
Returning home for the first time in five games to take on Williams,
the Bobcats got a scare early on. With exactly 15 minutes expired in
the game, O'Malley lost her footing and twisted an ankle. She had to
be helped off the field. The Bobcats were quick to respond, however,
as senior co-captain Breck Smith (Kennebunkport, Maine) intercepted
a pass in front of the Ephs' goal and fired it home to give Bates a 1-0
lead at the 20:51 mark of the game. The Bobcats were able to
maintain the lead until the last ten minutes of the game, when
Williams sneaked a shot past senior goalkeeper Shannon Walker
(Weston, Mass.). In the first overtime, first-year halfback Jolene
Thurston (Post Mills, Vt.) was able to pick out the ball in a scrum in
front of the Williams goal an knock it in to put the Bobcats up 2-1.
The Ephs answered just two and a half minutes later, though, on a
similar pile-up in front of Arnold, who allowed her first goal in five
games. Neither team was able to take control after that, and the
game ended with the 2-2 deadlock.
Arnold, for her 12 saves and shutout against Gordon, was named the
NESCAC Player of the Week, making it the third time this season that
a Bobcat has won the award. She joins O'Malley, who won the award
last week and in the first week of the season.
Up Next:
10/12 at Maine-Farmington
Men's Soccer (3-3) Stuns Fifth-Ranked Williams
The Williams Ephs came to Lewiston riding a 46-game regular season
unbeaten streak, ranked fifth in the country and defending Division
III national champions. They still may have the title, but their
winning streak was snapped thanks to a host of outstanding
performances by the Bobcats. The first goal was scored with just
three minutes remaining in the first half. First-year midfielder
Andrew Apstein (Waban, Mass.) streaked down the flank, beat his
defender and rushed in to the net, where his shot was headed home
by junior midfielder Mike Drunsic (Manchester, Vt.). Williams
answered just under five minutes into the second half, but Bates
scored what proved to be the game-winner about 15 minutes later at
the 19:00 mark. Senior midfielder Doug Steele (East Longmeadow,
Mass.) took a corner kick, which was rebounded out to sophomore
midfielder Chad LaFauci (North Andover, Mass.). LaFauci gathered
the ball and shot it towards the goal, where sophomore midfielder
Eric Trickett (Windham, N.H.) flicked it in with his head for his
second goal of the season. Thanks to the characteristically aggressive
defensive play of senior tri-captain Tom Murray (Marshfield, Mass.)
and senior tri-captain Mike Marsh's (Manchester, Conn.) athletic save
of a shot by leaping and tipping it over the crossbar in the last two
minutes, the Bobcats hung on to hand Williams its first loss in the
regular season since the fall of 1992.
Up Next:
10/9 at Husson
10/12 at Wheaton
Men's Tennis Surprises at ECAC and Rolex Tournaments
The men's tennis team split up for its action at the Rolex Invitational
at MIT and the ECAC tournament held at Vassar College. The two
returnees from last year's NCAA squad were at MIT. Sophomore
Brian Kend (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) won his first match easily, 6-
0, 6-2, over a foe from Tufts, but fell in the second round, while
junior captain Lonnie Klein (Riverdale, N.Y.) was unable to defeat his
first opponent from Amherst.
At the ECAC tournament, Bates players showed very well, losing only
to Division I opponents. They were led by first-year player Peter
Dalrymple (Salt Lake City, Utah), who reached the semi-finals of the
number two singles flight in a string of hard-fought matches. He
defeated a first-round opponent from Division II St. Lawrence
University, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, and won his quarterfinal over Middlebury,
7-6, 6-0. In the semis, he fell short, but not by much, taking his
opponent from UConn to three sets before falling, 3-6, 7-6, 2-6.
Senior Fred Goldman (Brookline, Mass.) and sophomore Andy Wagner
(Gates Mills, Ohio) teamed up to reach the quarterfinals of the
doubles tournament, topping opponents from New Paltz State, 6-4, 6-
4 before falling to a team from Hartford, 5-7, 1-6.
Despite falling behind in four of six singles matches, the women's
tennis team prevailed over Salve Regina, 6-3, Oct. 4. The next day,
they were not as successful in coming back against Connecticut
College, dropping a 7-2 decision. Sophomore Natalie Herald (North
Attleboro, Mass.) won both of her matches at No. 5 -- 1-6, 6-2, 6-4,
over Salve Regina and 6-2, 6-3 over Conn. College. Senior co-captain
also played well, dropping a tough 5-7, 5-7 decision against the
Newporters, but bouncing back to take a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over the
Camels.
Up Next:
10/9 vs. Bowdoin
10/11-12 Rolex Invit. at Wellesley
Volleyball (5-13) Wins Bracket in Bates Invitational, Falls in
Semifinals
The Bobcats played some of their best volleyball of the season on
Friday night of the twelve-team Bates Invitational. They topped
Brandeis, 15-5, 15-10, 12-15, 15-4, in the first match of the night on
Oct. 4. They went on to dominate Western Connecticut in the
nightcap, 15-3, 15-4, 15-5. They earned a first-round bye in the
single-elimination bracket the next day, but were eliminated by
eventual tournament champs Tufts in an odd match, 15-11, 15-1,
17-15. First-year middle hitter Amanda Colby (Willimantic, Conn.)
was named to the All-Tournament team.
Up Next:
10/9 at Colby
10/11-12 at Eastern Connecticut Tournament
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