By CAM DONALDSON
Staff Writer
 

The soccer teams certainly did not embarrass themselves in front of the parental throng. The men were able to surmount Tufts' significant offensive weaponry for the first time since 1986, holding them to a 3-1 score. The women succumbed to the Jumbos, who were ranked #3 in New England, by a margin of 2-0 before redeeming themselves with a 3-1 win against Babson on Sunday. If you were there, you undoubtedly noticed Kate O'Malley '00 and Colleen McCrave '99, who connected for the third time this year in a perfectly-executed 2-on-1 break for the winning goal. In the men's game, you couldn't help but notice the play of first-year sensation Lakota Denton, who took line-mate Andy Apstein '00 to dinner and dessert in the Tufts crease.

O'Malley, McCrave and Denton are a few of the new vanguard of athletic superstars at Bates, and they should be all it takes to convert the better part of Bobcat fandom to the soccer fields.

Earlier this season, the tandem of McCrave and O'Malley singlehandedly vaulted Bates over #9-ranked Wellesley by connecting on the game's lone goal. In the home opener against Trinity, O'Malley posted a goal and an assist in the first half, while her counterpart evened out the scoring with two goals in the second half. The duo's efforts did not go unnoticed by the powers above, as McCrave and O'Malley were duly named NESCAC Co-players of the Week.

"After playing together for a year, they really know each other's style," said Laura Stern '98, "They play off of each other so well."

McCrave specializes in getting her centerman the ball and controlling the offensive tempo. Wheeling around in the attacking zone, she uses quick feet and a cerebral playmaking ability to confound opponents. She has tallied three goals and three assists this season, with most of her points coming in joint efforts with O'Malley, who has also put up some very agreeable numbers this year (5 goals, 2 assists). O'Malley fills the role of The Terminator, fearlessly driving to the net and finishing everything in sight. She is always willing to sacrifice herself for the big play, and she is at the top of her game in mid-air, which is where she scores most of her goals from. Both O'Malley and McCrave have already cracked the top ten in Bates all-time scoring.

"They are very talented offensively, but they're not just goal scorers," said Coach Jim Murphy. "Everybody on the team looks up to them. They are both very personable, athletically capable, hard-working individuals."

And what do McCrave and O'Malley have to say about all this hullabaloo?

"I just want to have a lot of fun and do everything possible to help the team," said O'Malley, before changing the subject to heap praise on her linemate. "[McCrave] is a really great player. She has really stepped up as a threat on offense."

"[O'Malley] is the person most likely to score out there," affirmed McCrave. "I just try to give her the ball and she usually scores."

The team's run to improve on last year's NCAA quarterfinal finish continues on Saturday at Williams. On Thursday, you will get a chance to see McCrave and O'Malley lead their 'Cats into battle against Gordon College (4:00 game time). The remainder of the season should be an excellent learning experience for Bates.

"No one expected us to be 4-3 at this point," said Murphy. "We have played well enough to be 6-1. We're capable of winning every single game on our schedule, but there are four or five of them that we could lose."

On the men's team, they have found a very rare commodity in first-year phenom Lakota Denton. Just think of him as the Nomar Garciaparra of Bates soccer. This is the kid who scored a first-half hat trick against Husson using only his cranium. He hails from Bernardston, Massachusetts, where he racked up some impressive credentials (58 goals, 21 assists) in 60 career games for Pioneer Valley Regional High School. This season, playing on a line with experienced go-getters Eric Trickett '99 and Andy Apstein '00, he has scored six goals to go along with three helpers. As an attacking center midfielder, a position Coach George Purgavie likes to call "the slot," Denton is the critical pivot point for the shift of defense into offense.

"My job is to basically start the transition from defense to an attacking mode," explained Denton. "I try to distribute to [Apstein and Trickett] as well as put some goals in myself."

Denton has already shown that he can score goals with the best of NESCAC, but he can also generate plays from the midfield by making judicious passes to his forwards. He is the guy you want to have in the middle of the field, leading his forwards with pinpoint passes and coordinating the attack in the offensive zone. He may be just a first-year, but he's the one turning the key to ignite Bates' offense.

"He is a playmaker," said Purgavie. "He's good at distributing to other players and making dangerous passes. But he's also a very good finisher. He can put the ball in the back of the net."

The pressure will be on Denton's transitional scoring game this Saturday, when the #4 (Williams) and #5 (Bates) teams in New England throw down at Williams during Williams' Parents Weekend. Bates has already sent two top-ten ranked teams packing this season and nobody needs to remind Williams about how things turned out last year when the Ephs came to town.

"We are really focused on Williams right now," said Denton. "If we beat them, it will be a huge win for the program- not just the team."

If the 'Cats manage to supersede Williams in the rankings, it would not be a stretch to imagine them giving the boot to #2-ranked Wheaton on Saturday at Leahey Field (1:00 game time). First, however, they will have to hold their own against Gordon on Thursday (4:00 start). It promises to be a defining week for the Bobcats and Lakota Denton, who will match his skills with the creme de la creme of New England for the first time.

"[Denton] is an explosive player," said Chad LaFauci '99. "He is one of the reasons that people are starting to get scared of us. We're looking good. We're looking powerful."