FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

BATES MEN'S LACROSSE EARNS ECAC TOURNAMENT BERTH

LEWISTON, Maine -- After finishing the regular season with a 9-6 record, the Bates College men's lacrosse team has earned a berth in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England tournament. The Bobcats, the seventh seed in the tournament, will travel May 10 to Williamstown, Mass., to face No. 2 Williams College (9-4) at 4 p.m.

This is Bates' first tournament bid since 1987. The Bobcats are led by sophomore attack Dave Frederick of Hartford, Conn., who tops the team with 27 goals and 47 assists (a Bates single-season record) for 74 points. Classmate Jack Sandler of Hicksville, N.Y., also an attack, leads the team with 52 goals. Senior Mike D'Addario of Locust Valley, N.Y., rounds out the Bobcats' potent front line with 166 career goals, a school record. Senior co-captain David Pillsbury of Gill, Mass., the Bobcat goalkeeper, ranks 18th in the most recent NCAA Division III statistical rankings with an 8.36 goals-against average.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the nine seniors on the team who worked so hard for four years to keep the program moving in the right direction," said head men's lacrosse coach Al Brown. "Williams is an excellent team and it should be a great test for us."

This will be the first-ever meeting between Williams and Bates. The Ephs have three seniors atop their scoring list, led by attacks John Moorhead (47 8-5) and Nick Weisser (40-11-51)

Other first-round matchups in the ECAC tournament include No. 1 Bowdoin playing host to No. 8 Gordon; No. 6 Tufts at No. 3 Eastern Connecticut State; and No. 4 Trinity playing host to NESCAC foe No. 5 Wesleyan.

Tickets for the first round game will cost $3 for adults, $1 for students and children 12 and under.

For more information on Bates lacrosse, please visit our Web site at http://www.bates.edu/sports/mlax.html.