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Bryan Hopper '14
Bryan Hopper '14

Bates College’s Rob Highland scored two goals, including the game-winner with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter, and lifted the Bobcats to a 7-6 NESCAC win against Hamilton College at Bates’ Garcelon Field on April 6.

After trailing for nearly the entire game, the Bobcats outscored Hamilton 4-1 in the final 11 minutes. Highland made a sweep to an alley dodge and released a right-handed shot from a high angle into the lower part of the goal.

Bates picked up its first win over the Continentals in just the second meeting between the teams. Hamilton won last year’s meeting in Clinton, 12-8.

Jack Strain and Charlie Hildebrand tallied two goals apiece and Kyle Starr added one for the Bobcats. Nick Ford and Will Gilkeson dished out one assist apiece. Mac Jackson won 12 of 16 face-offs, which led to a game-high 10 ground balls. Jackson entered the day ranked first in the NESCAC in ground balls. Colby Spehler caused four turnovers and Charlie Kazarian turned away nine shots in goal.

Bryan Hopper '14 posted two goals for the Continentals. Pat Donahoe '16, Joe Ricciuti '16, Sam Sweet '16 and John Zimmerman '15 scored one goal each. Luke Walsh '13 and Matt Hrvatin '15 had one assist apiece.

Pax Anthos '14 won three face-offs for Hamilton. Dylan Lahey '15, McCullough Shriver '13 and Sweet scooped up four ground balls each, and Will Driscoll '15 made eight saves.

Bates (6-4 overall, 4-3 NESCAC) struck first on an unassisted goal by Highland just 50 seconds into the first quarter. Ricciuti knotted things up on his first collegiate goal with 1:43 left in the first. The score was tied 1-1 after one quarter.

Hamilton (4-5, 2-5) grabbed a 3-1 lead on goals by Donahoe and Sweet less than two minutes apart. Sweet scored on a feed from Hrvatin with 8:25 to go in the half, and Donahoe added his fourth goal 1 minute, 53 seconds later.

Hildebrand answered with a goal 64 seconds later on a pass from Ford that made it 3-2. Zimmerman put the Continentals back up by two with 3:46 remaining, but Hildebrand tallied another goal with 1:27 left in the second, and the Bobcats trailed 4-3 at the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Hopper extended Hamilton's lead to 5-3 just 27 seconds into the fourth on a pass from Walsh. The next three goals belonged to the Bobcats, and Bates regained the lead at 6-5 with 7:36 to play. Starr scored with 10:12 remaining and Strain scored a pair of goals just 40 seconds apart. Gilkeson picked up an assist on the first goal by Strain.

Hopper evened the score once more on his second goal of the day with 3:40 to play. The Continentals had chances to tie down the stretch after Anthos won the faceoff after Highland's last goal, but a shot by Anthos with 19 seconds left sailed wide. Hamilton controlled possession, but turned the ball over with 7 seconds remaining. Bates failed to clear and the Continentals had one last chance, but Lahey's shot was wide just before time expired.

The Continentals held the advantage in shots, 38-26, and committed just 15 turnovers. The Bobcats dominated the faceoff circle by winning 12 of 16.

Hamilton hosts Skidmore College for a non-conference game on Wednesday, April 10.

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