Bowdoin College Carlin's Last-Second Game-Winner Propels Men's Lacrosse Over Bates

Sam Carlin scored the game-winning goal with 1.4 seconds remaining to push Bowdoin over Bates.

Recap, photo courtesy of Bowdoin College

LEWISTON, Maine - Sam Carlin won his 23rd faceoff of the game and scored the game-winning goal with just two seconds remaining to lift the Bowdoin College men's lacrosse team to a 14-13 win at Bates on Wednesday evening.

The Polar Bears extend their winning streak to seven games and stand at 7-2 (4-2 NESCAC) this season while Bates falls to 6-5 (2-4 NESCAC).

Game Highlights

• Bowdoin put Bates in a hole early, scoring the first four goals of hte game with one apiece by Matthew Crowell, Daniel Buckman, James Strabley and Jimmy Young.
• Curtis Knapton put Bates on the scoreboard with an unassisted tally with 1:03 left in the opening period.
• The teams traded three goals apiece in the second quarter as Bowdoin carried a 7-4 lead into the half.
• Bowdoin maintained a three goal lead early in the fourth quarter, 10-7, before a 4-1 Bates surge tied the game at 11-11 with 6:26 left.
• Bowdoin regained a two-goal edge at 13-11, as Daniel Buckman scored with 2:38 to go, followed by Brett Kujala's score from James Strabley with 1:40 left in the game.
• Bates' Eli Cooper then won his seventh faceoff of the game against Carlin, and after a Bates timeout, Curtis Knapton drove in from the left wing and scored to close the gap to 13-12.
• With 16.3 seconds remaining, Andrew Small buried the game-tying goal from 15 yards away, tying the game at 13-13, but leaving just enough time for Carlin's heroics. 
• After winning the ensuing faceoff, Carlin ranged around the Bates goal as the final seconds in regulation time ticked away. He cut in toward the left goalpost, muscled past a defender and flipped the ball past Bates goalie Rob Strain to clinch the win with 1.4 seconds on the clock.

By The Numbers

• Sam Carlin was outstanding, winning 23 of 30 faceoffs, collecting 18 ground balls and scoring twice in the fourth quarter to propel Bowdoin.
• James Strabley and Daniel Buckman had two goals and two assists each for the Polar Bears.
• Bates was led by four goals from Andrew Small.
• John Young made nine saves for Bowdoin while Rob Strain stopped 12 for the Bobcats.
• With shots (43-42 Bates) and man-up (Bowdoin 1-3, Bates 1-2) being almost identical, the difference in the game proved to be on the faceoff dot, where Carlin won 23 of 30 attempts in the match.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will take advantage of their NESCAC bye weekend to travel to play a non-conference match at Montclair (N.J.) St. on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.