By CAM DONALDSON
Staff Writer
 

Women's Volleyball
Alumni Gym/Gray Cage, 10:00 AM

Coming off a 1-4 performance in last weekend's tournament at Gordon College, the volleyball team will be looking to elevate their game for the home crowd. A young team with only three players who have college volleyball experience, they will be facing Middlebury, Colby, Gordon, and Rowan, all of which could teach the Bobcats a lesson in respecting their elders.

"This is a completely new team," said Coach Marsha Graef. "We have a lot of different people and personalities. We demonstrated some potential last weekend, and I believe our inconsistency will level out once we are more familiar with each other."

The team showed signs of coming together in a 5-game loss to Gordon last weekend, a deficit that they will have a chance to recoup with interest on Saturday. Gordon and Rowan have played more matches this season than any of their NESCAC opponents, while Middlebury and Colby will be sure to bring their usual high level of competition to the table. Bates may not be the favorite, but they could be considered the dark horse pick to win the tournament. It's only a matter of time before youth and athleticism start translating into W's.

Field Hockey
vs. Trinity, Russell St. Field, 11:00 AM

The Bates field hockey team had a promising start to their season, stifling Simmons by a score of 3-0. However, their confidence was shattered in a forgettable 5-0 defeat at Middlebury. They are a young team, but with their two leading scorers from the past two seasons still on the roster, they should not have a problem finding net this season. If Wendy Zimmerman '99 continues to anchor the team with solid goaltending, the offense should gain confidence and be able to concentrate on scoring goals by the bushel, which they will have to do against teams of Trinity's caliber.

"Trinity has always been tough, but they do not look at us as being a super-strong team," said Simone Francini '98. "We have nothing to lose against them. We could surprise them and come out of it with a big win."

Women's Soccer
vs. Trinity, Leahey Field, 11:00 AM

There is no denying that the women's soccer team is under pressure. Coming off of one of the best seasons in recent memory, this year's early-season losses to Norwich and Middlebury seemed to be some sort of cruel joke. Redemption will be held this Saturday at 11:00 on Leahey Field.

"Against Trinity we're hoping to just play our game," said Laura Stern '98. "We are 22 players strong, and at any time any one of them could be out there. We have faith in our teammates and are completely confident."

Trinity would be wise to heed Stern's words because Bates has more depth than the Mariana Trench. The Bobcats should be able to ward off a strong Trinity attack with their firey spirit and able-bodied bench.

Men's Soccer
vs. Plymouth State, Leahey Field, noon

Last season, the men's soccer team pulled off a stunning upset against Williams with a display of grit and physical force, shutting down the Energizer offense of the Ephs that kept going and going through 46 straight regular season wins. On Saturday, Bates will be faced with a foe of similar caliber in Plymouth State. Last week, Plymouth lost in overtime to Johns Hopkins, the third-ranked team in the nation. Bates is coming off two strong performances, a 5-0 bootfest at Norwich and a 2-0 loss at Middlebury, in which they showed poise and class despite losing to a high-profile NESCAC team. The team's up-and-coming first-years performed admirably against the Panthers. Four first-years were in the starting lineup, perhaps forecasting the type of role Coach George Purgavie expects them to play in this weekend's game.

"We're definitely a young and very different team, but we are talented," said Chad LaFauci '99. "We're faster, more skilled, and less physical than we have been in the past."

This Saturday, the alumni will be introduced to a new breed of Bates soccer player. For the first time in recent memory, this team is molded in the image of the New England Revolution rather than the New England Patriots. Expect to see nifty plays and dashing finesse this weekend, and if Bates can harken back to last season, we may see the new-image Bobcats produce another upset without getting a speck of dirt on their uniforms.

Football
vs. Trinity, Garcelon Field, 1:30 PM

We all know what the most popular sporting event this weekend will be. Unfortunately, the last time the Bobcat football squad won a game on Back-to-Bates Weekend was when old grandpappy was burping up Gerber on his Bobcat bib. But know this: The 'Cats are having a little resurgence of late, putting together a well-played '96 season and managing to avoid embarassing themselves against Amherst in an exhibition last weekend. On Saturday, they have a chance to clear another hurdle on the road to making a comeback as they play their season opener against Trinity.

"I think we should be really competitive with Trinity," said Coach Rick Pardy. "They're real solid - definitely one of the better teams in the conference. [Bates is] going to have to work real hard for four quarters, but I know we can do it."

All eyes will be on Dan Hooley's successor at QB, Chris Snow '98. The Bates offense will have to shift into high gear to avoid getting iced by a speedy Tiger defense. In addition, they will need to summon all of their determination to surmount Trinity's heart and deflate their certitude. With all of this accomplished, the alumni could be in for a treat.