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BATES WOMEN SWEEP NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

LEWISTON, Maine -- Three Bates College women, senior Jolene Thurston of Post Mills, Vt., junior Kate Hagstrom of Portola, Cal., and sophomore Ginny Hurley of Revere, Mass., have earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week honors in their respective sports, giving the Bobcats a clean sweep of the awards for women's sports this week.

Thurston, a co-captain on the women's soccer team, scored five of the Bobcats' seven goals in a 2-1 week. She scored twice against the University of New England on Oct. 18 in a 4-0 Bobcat win. The goals were her first two goals of the season. On Oct. 20 against in-state rivals Bowdoin College, Thurston twice gave the Bobcats the lead, scoring in the first 10 minutes of each half. Bowdoin, ranked seventh in New England, rallied late and won the game, 3-2, in overtime. Bates concluded the week with a 1-0 win over Connecticut College on Oct. 23, with Thurston picking up the game-winning goal less than 10 minutes into the second half. With 11 points, Thurston is the second-leading scorer for the 7-5 Bobcats, despite missing the first five games of the season with an injury.

Hagstrom was named NESCAC volleyball player of the week for third time this season. The junior setter led the Bobcats to a 3-1 week and a fifth-place finish at the Hall of Fame Tournament hosted by Smith and Mt. Holyoke colleges. In 15 games over the course of the four matches, Hagstrom had 167 assists (11.27 apg) and 21 service aces (1.40 sapg). She also had 22 kills and just two errors in 42 attacks for a .476 hitting percentage. In the third game of a 15-4, 15-0, 15-0 victory over Bridgewater State College, Hagstrom equaled an NCAA record by serving 15 consecutive points, becoming just the 10th player in NCAA history accomplish the feat, the second in Division III. With 12 aces in that game and 21 overall in the weekend, Hagstrom moved into sixth place on the Division III career service ace list. At 25-5, the Bobcats have been ranked second in New England for the past four weeks.

Hurley, a forward on the Bates College field hockey team, led the Bobcats to a 2-0 week by registering a pair of hat tricks. In a downpour against Plymouth State College on Oct. 20, Hurley became the third Bobcat player of the season to score three goals in a game. Hurley had a natural hat trick against the Panthers, converting a penalty stroke midway through the period, then beating PSC defenders down the field eight minutes later. She completed the trick by knocking home a rebound with 59 seconds left in the first half, giving Bates their first win over Plymouth State since 1977 and coach Wynn Hohlt her first win against the team she coached from 1992-1997.

Against Connecticut College on Oct. 23, Hurley scored on a pair of penalty strokes, including the first tally of the game just over four minutes into the game. Bates took a 2-0 lead with 8:30 left in the first half, but the Camels rallied to tie the game with 30 minutes left in regulation before Hurley got the lead back two minutes later. With six goals in two games this week, Hurley doubled her goal total from the previous 22 games of her career. She vaulted to fourth place in the NESCAC in scoring with 21 points. As a team, the Bobcats are the second-highest scoring team in the conference with 34 goals. At 9-3 the Bobcats have their winningest season since 1985. The team will go for its first 10-win season since 1984 tomorrow at the University of Southern Maine.

Thurston is a 1996 graduate of Thetford Academy. She is the daughter of Elwood and Darlene Thurston, Post Mills, Vt.

Hagstrom is a 1997 graduate of Portola Jr./Sr. High School. She is the daughter of Jerrold and Julia Hagstrom, Jacksonville, Ore.

Hurley is a 1998 graduate of St. Mark's School, Southboro, Mass. She is the daughter of John and Virginia Hurley, Revere, Mass.