LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates College Women's Soccer team, which finished the regular season with an 11-2-1 record, has earned a berth in the 1996 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships. They will face in-state rival Bowdoin College in Brunswick at 1:30 on Nov. 6.

This is the Bobcats' second trip to the NCAA tournament. Their previous berth was in 1993, when they finished the regular season with a 10-1-2 record. Twenty-four of the 320 NCAA Division III women's soccer teams qualified for the championships, up fro m 20 last season.

This will be the second meeting of the year between the Bobcats and the Polar Bears, who had an 11-1-2 regular season record. Bowdoin holds a 21-4-1 advantage in the all-time series and won the previous meeting, 4-2, Oct. 23 at Bates, scoring three str aight goals after the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead. The Bobcats have won both post-season meetings between these two teams, their last victory coming in the semi-finals of the 1994 ECAC tournament. The winner of the Bates Bowdoin game will travel to Williamsto wn, Mass. to play the top-ranked team in New England, Williams College, Saturday, Nov. 9, in the regional semi-finals. The regional finals will be held on Nov. 10, with the championship round taking place on the campus of one of the four remaining teams N ov. 17 and 18.

Bates is led by first-year forward Kate O'Malley, the leading scorer in NESCAC with 15 goals and six assists for 36 points. She is a two-time conference player of the week, has tied two single-game scoring records and is currently one goal shy of tying the Bobcats' single season goal scoring record. O'Malley is one of five Bates players with more than 10 points this season. Sophomore Colleen McCrave (6-4-16), first-year player Jolene Thurston (5-5-15) and seniors Kathleen Swinbourne (5-4-14) and Nicol e Woodson (2-6-10). In goal, the Bobcats feature sophomore Suzie Arnold, who has allowed six goals in 14 appearences for a 0.60 goals against average.

"Bowdoin is an outstanding team. Hopefully we can turn the tables on them the second time around," head coach Jim Murphy '69 said of Wednesday's matchup.