FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LUOMA, O'MALLEY EARN BATES ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS

LEWISTON, Maine -- A pair of Bates College soccer players, first-year forward Brian Luoma of Virginia Beach, Va., and senior forward Kate O'Malley of Deephaven, Minn., have been named Bates College Athletes of the Week for Sept. 20.

In his second week of collegiate soccer action, Luoma provided all of the Bobcats offense, scoring three goals in two games. Against in-state rival University of Maine-Farmington on Sept. 14, Luoma scored his first collegiate goal with 48 seconds left in the second overtime period to give the Bobcats a 1-0 victory, their first of the season. In a contest against Middlebury College, Luoma scored a pair of goals. His first came in the 41st minute, while his second goal of the game tied the contest with 18 seconds left in regulation time. The Bobcats pressured the Panthers in the overtime period, but Middlebury scored the gam-winner with just over three minutes remaining. Luoma's six points this season tie him for second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). The Bobcats had a 1-2 record at the end of the week, with both losses coming to teams ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national Division III poll, No. 12 Middlebury and then-No. 18 DePauw.

O'Malley scored her 100th career point last week as the Bates women's soccer team went 2-1 and were ranked 11th in the most recent NSCAA Division III Regional poll. After a 2-0 loss to nationally ranked Wellesley College, the Bobcats defeated Norwich University, 3-1, and Middlebury, 2-1, in overtime. In the win over Norwich, O'Malley scored a goal and an assist, giving her three points on the day and 100 points for her career. O'Malley becomes the second woman in Bates soccer history to reach the century mark, joining Bethany Maitland '89, the Bobcats' all-time leader with 115 points. O'Malley, who added an assist on the game-winning goal against Middlebury, has 41 career goals, eight behind Maitland, and 19 career assists, six behind all time leader Colleen McCrave '99. She will try to add to her totals this weekend against NESCAC rival Trinity College.

Luoma is a 1999 graduate of Cape Henry Collegiate School. He is the son of Stephen and Sharon Luoma.

O'Malley is a 1996 graduate of Minnetonka High School. She is the daughter of Charles and Mary Jane O'Malley.