Courtesy Tufts Sports Information

Box Score

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Junior Kim Alexander (Cumberland, ME) scored her conference-leading 12th goal of the season with 45 seconds left in the first overtime to give Bates College a dramatic 1-0 victory over Bowdoin College in the NESCAC women’s soccer tournament semi-finals on Saturday afternoon at Tufts University. The Bobcats (12-3-1) will play the host Jumbos, who defeated Colby 2-1 in the other semi-final, for the conference championship on Sunday at noon.

With an entertaining 0-0 game nearing the end of the first overtime, Bates junior Jessie Gargiulo (Boxborough, MA) set up Alexander at the top of the 18. She slotted the ball past Bowdoin keeper Anna Shapell (Cape Elizabeth, ME) into the net at the far post, causing the Bobcat bench to rush on to the field in celebration of the win.

The goal ended a match during which much of regulation was back-and-forth, with neither side able to capitalize on opportunities that could have been dangerous. Both keepers played aggressively and fumbled balls on occasion as a result, but neither offense could capitalize. The Bobcats would finish with a slight edge in play, taking 12 shots to seven for Bowdoin and earning five corners to two for the Polar Bears.

The best opportunity in the first half was for Bates when Gargiulo went in on a break-away, but hit it just wide. Shapell was sharp in goal for Bowdoin in the second half as the Bobcats had the possession advantage. She made the save of the day in the 57th minute when she tipped a corner kick headed on goal by Bates’ Meg Coffin (Westford, MA) over the crossbar.

Five minutes into overtime, Gargiulo – who finished with a game-high five shots – fired one from outside the box that went just wide right. Less than five minutes later, Alexander won it.

Shapell was credited with three saves in the losing effort, while Bates sophomore Nini Spalding (San Francisco, CA) had two stops.