MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Trailing 11-6 entering the fourth quarter, the No. 6 Wesleyan men's lacrosse team scored four unanswered goals to make it a one-goal game, but that was as close as the Cardinals would get as Bates held on for a 13-11 win on Saturday afternoon on Citrin Field.
 
A late first quarter flurry saw the two sides score four times in the last 3+ minutes with Connor Hartman firing in a go-ahead goal for Bates with just six seconds on the clock to hand the visitors a 3-2 lead after one.
 
An even more explosive second quarter saw the two sides combine for nine goals in the frame. The score tied three times in the second quarter alone before another crucial late quarter run saw Jack Goldbach and Henry McCann net consecutive goals to make it 8-6 Bates at halftime.
 
The Cardinals threw everything they had at Bates in the third quarter, outshooting the Bobcats 16-9 in the quarter but were outscored 3-0 as Bates led 11-6 entering the fourth. Bates goalkeeper Andrew Toland, who was stellar throughout in a 20-save performance, made 10 of those 20 saves in the third quarter alone.
 
Wesleyan made their run early in the fourth as Gavin Lechner '27 scored on the man-up before Matt Morrow '27 cashed in on a feed from Charlie Knapp '26 and Knapp took it in himself just 26 seconds later to make it a two-goal game.
 
Bates called timeout but the Cardinals continued to rally, with Jack Stanislaw '27 winning the ensuing faceoff in a possession that ended in a Knapp goal ot make it 11-10 Bates with 11:53 left.
 
Silas Hamblett '28, who came on to start the second half in cage, kept the one-goal deficit intact with three straight saves and a forced turnover in the middle stages of the fourth quarter. Wesleyan, however, struggled with turnovers themselves and couldn't generate quality scoring chances.
 
Bates took their chance with 4:47 left as Jack Merkert restored a two-goal lead and Hartman put the game away with a goal three minutes later to secure the win for the Bobcats.
 
Wesleyan outshot Bates 52-36, including a 28-15 margin in the second half, but couldn't solve Toland in net who made 20 saves compared to seven for the Wesleyan goalkeepers. Bates also went 3-for-5 on man-up opportunities while the Cardinals were 1-for-4 for the game.
 
Knapp poured in a career-high six points on three goals and three assists for his first career hat trick. Will Miller '26 netted three goals while Lechner had two goals and one assist.
 
Stanislaw went 13-for-19 on faceoffs with four ground balls and one goal. Peter Rossi '28 tallied two caused turnovers and two ground balls in his Wesleyan debut.
 
The Cardinals are back in action at home on Wednesday with a showdown against Vassar at 4 PM on Citrin Field