Bates College Women's lacrosse falls 15-13 at No. 18 Bowdoin

Annie Duke scored four goals on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at No. 18 nationally ranked Bowdoin. (File photo by Theophil Syslo/Bates College)

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The Bates women's lacrosse team rallied from four goals down to take the lead but the No. 18 nationally ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears scored the final three goals of the game to defeat the Bobcats by a score of 15-13 Wednesday night. 

The Bobcats (6-5, 1-5 NESCAC) stormed out of the gate, scoring the first four goals of the contest and taking an early 6-1 lead. Seniors Annie Duke (Englewood, Colo.) and Teal Otley (Cumberland, Maine) sparked the game-opening surge with two goals apiece to give Bates the early edge.

Bowdoin (7-3, 3-3 NESCAC) rallied on the backs of Hannah Hirschfeld, Kara Finnerty and Katherine Miller, all who scored twice in the first half. The Polar Bears ended the opening frame on a 6-0 run to take a 7-6 lead at intermission.

Bowdoin scored the first three goals of the second half, including a pair from Eliza Denious, to take a 10-6 lead with 28:44 to go. The Polar Bears still held a four-goal edge, 12-8, with under 21 minutes to go in regulation.

Bates mounted a huge rally, scoring five goals in a span of nine minutes to erase Bowdoin's lead and regain the advantage, 13-12, on an Otley score with 11:54 to go.

Bowdoin settled and regained control, tallying the next three goals from Denious, Miller and Kate Kelly, and the Polar Bear defense held Bates scoreless for the final 11:54 to clinch the win. 

Miller led all players with four goals and two assists in the win for Bowdoin while Hirschfeld also scored four times. Denious added three goals for Bowdoin while Hirschfeld led the team with two ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Duke and Otley had four goals apiece for Bates, who got ten draw controls from senior Allison Dewey (Vergennes, Vt.).

Kayli Weiss stopped seven shots for Bowdoin while junior Eliza Statile (Ipswich, Mass.) made eight saves for Bates.

The Bobcats are back in action Saturday on the road for a noon tilt at Connecticut College.