NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College field hockey team hung tough in a 3-0 loss to No. 19 Bates College on Saturday afternoon at Silfen Field.
The Bobcats netted goals in each of the final three quarters to improve to 8-6 overall (4-5 NESCAC). Paige Cote (Auburn, Maine) tallied the game winner in the first half while Ella Blum (South Salem, N.Y.) and Kami Lambert (Augusta, Maine) added scores in the second. Goalie Grace Biddle (State College, Pa.) finished with seven saves as Bates picked up its sixth shutout of the season.
The Camels dropped to 4-10 on the year and 1-8 in NESCAC play. Goalie
Sadie Abuhaidar (Park City, Utah) posted a season-high eight saves.
After a scoreless first quarter, Bates put up the game's first goal in the opening minutes of the second. Abuhaidar laid out to stop a shot on goal by Sarah Bussell (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.), but Cote was there to clean up the rebound with a backhanded flick from in front of the cage.
The Bobcats took the 1-0 lead into the halftime intermission and added to the margin just 5:42 into the second half. Following a restart deep in Conn's end, Anna Lindeis (New Canaan, Conn.) picked off a pass and connected with Blum for a backhanded whack that snuck into the right side of the goal.
Trailing 2-0 late in the third, the Camels put together a stretch where they produced four shots and three penalty corners on one trip down the field.
Bridget Mason (East Greenwich, R.I.) had the best chance to cut the deficit in half, but her shot from the doorstep was denied by a stick save from Biddle.
The game's final goal came with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest. Lambert camped out at the left post and buried a feed from Blum to cushion Bates' lead to 3-0.
The Camels put three more shots on goal in the final stanza but couldn't sneak anything past Biddle. Bates finished with an 18-16 edge in total shots, but Conn held a 13-11 edge in penalty corners.
With the loss, the Camels were eliminated from NESCAC postseason contention. Conn College will wrap up the regular season with a home date against Wesleyan University on Tuesday, October 25 at 4 p.m.
