Courtesy Tufts Sports Information

Box Score

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Bates College freshman Jen Marino (Methuen, MA) didn’t quit on her pursuit of the ball as it harmlessly rolled towards the Tufts University goal, and when a mix-up by the Jumbos left the ball uncontrolled she was on the spot to knock in the NESCAC-championship winning goal in the 103rd minute of play. The tally gave the Bobcats a 2-1 win and their first conference title in women’s soccer.

The Bobcats (13-3-1), who earn the NESCAC’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, won the title with their second overtime victory of the weekend. They eliminated in-state rival Bowdoin College, 1-0, with a goal nine minutes into the first overtime in the semi-finals on Saturday. Tufts (12-3-1), the top seed in the conference tournament, has an excellent chance at gaining an at-large berth into the national tournament.

Fifth seed Bates defeated Tufts with a strong performance that produced advantages in shots (17-9) and corners (5-2). Five minutes into the first half, Tufts keeper Annie Ross (Newton, MA) had to charge out of the net to block a point-blank opportunity by Bobcat junior Jessie Garguilo (Boxborough, MA). A few minutes later, Bates was on top 1-0 when Gargiulo converted a pass from sophomore Molly Wagner (Longmeadow, MA) in the eighth minute.

The Jumbos caught a break later in the half when senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson (Newton, MA) crossed a ball into the Bates goal area that was deflected into the net by a Bates defender to tie the game at 1-1. Samuelson would have another scoring chance later in the half when she challenged Bates keeper Nini Spalding (San Francisco, CA) for a loose ball and it deflected just wide of the goal.

The visiting Bobcats were very dangerous in the second half, but were unable to score. Perhaps their best chance came on a corner kick when junior Meg Coffin’s (Westford, MA) header was angled just high with 10 minutes to play in regulation. As the game went to a first overtime and into the second extra period, Tufts was awarded a direct kick near the top of the box early in the second OT that Bates was able to clear. Three minutes later, Marino was there to capitalize when confusion between Ross and a Tufts defender left the ball on the ground for the winning goal with 6:18 left in the second overtime.

Spalding, who successfully played aggressively all weekend, finished with five saves as the Bates defense limited good scoring bids by the Jumbos. Ross made nine saves in the Tufts goal.

2005 NESCAC WOMEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Sunday, Oct. 30 at Higher Seeds
No. 7 Colby 0, at No. 2 Amherst 0 - 2OT
Colby Advances on Penalty Kicks, 4-3
at No. 3 Bowdoin 5, No. 6 Middlebury 1
No. 5 Bates 1, at No. 4 Williams 0

Semifinals - Saturday, Nov. 5 at Tufts
at No. 1 Tufts 2, No. 7 Colby 1
No. 5 Bates 1, vs. No. 3 Bowdoin 0 - OT

Championship - Sunday, Nov. 6 at Tufts
No. 5 Bates 2, at No. 1 Tufts 1 - 2OT