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Program Notes 2009
The regular season consists of a 14-game schedule, including nine games against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponents. The top eight teams in the regular season standings qualify for the NESCAC Championship, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship. The Bobcats have earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Team Academic Award in three out of the last four seasons by posting a team grade point average above 3.0. 2008 Recap
The team finished the season 4-5 in the NESCAC, which was a dramatic improvement from the 2007 season. At 4-5 the team was the No. 5 ranked team in the NESCAC tournament. With half of the Bates starting lineup comprised of first-years and sophomores, it took some time before the Bobcats found their chemistry. The team took the second half of the season by storm, defeating two previously unbeaten squads (MIT and Middlebury) propelling them forcefully into the thick of the NESCAC conference. In the NESCAC quarterfinals, Bates played a tremendous game against Williams, leading 1-0 at the half. Williams earned a penalty kick and tied it up midway through the second half. Both teams fought for their postseason lives for the remainder of the game, but Williams managed to score both the game-winning goal and an insurance goal in the last five minutes of the contest. As a young team, the Bobcats had numerous players step up and improve this season, including junior forward Jonathan Lobozzo (New Gloucester, Maine), first-year forward Chris Okano (Los Angeles, Calif.), sophomore leading scorer Patrick Jackson (Durham, N.H.) and first-year goalie Greg Watts (West Chester, Pa). The team will look to this season's experience and improve upon it in 2009. |
The Bates College men's soccer team gives student athletes the opportunity to play in one of the most competitive NCAA Division III conferences in the nation. Members of the men's soccer team are expected to be committed to excellence both on the field and in the classroom.