The Camels couldn’t quite get over the hump versus the Bobcats on Saturday, April 11.
While celebrating Senior Day, Bates Men’s Lacrosse took down Connecticut College 19-11 in a buzzing environment, where young alumni and parents alike celebrated the 11 seniors. These seniors included Jake Anastas, Aidan Cunningham, Colin Eaton, Jameson Eigel, Brian Hart, Connor Hartman (captain), Jacob Kodjababian, Johnny Nunez, Drew Nyhus, Liam Rule, and Sam Scola.
The atmosphere became the star of the show as the young alumni continued to provide vocal support for their former teammates. The loud group–around 20–provided more than enough juice for the boys to put the Camels behind them, standing near the field for the majority of the game. The attendance of the game totalled 384.
The recent Bates graduates sat in the bleachers to start the fourth quarter. A memorable moment of the game occurred when Conn. College found the back of the net twice unanswered. The young alumni assumed a standing position again next to the fence, riling the boys up once again, their support encouraging the Bobcats to respond with goals of their own.
Key performances for the Bobcats came from attackers Jack Goldbach ’28 (five goals), Riley McClure ’27 (four goals), and Gray Doyle ’27 (three goals). Their respective goal songs, “Shower” by Becky G, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, and “Do the John Wall” by Troop 41, echoed through the stands.
Bates’ physicality proved too much for the Camels, who kept running into Bates defenders, finding themselves sandwiched. If Conn. College somehow found a way to get their shot off, Andrew Toland ‘27 consistently made saves. Miles Schmidt ‘27 did an excellent job winning face-offs for the Bobcats; faceoff Finn Gibbons ‘28 got some opportunities late in the game as a result.
Remarkable goals peppered the net for the Bobcats, especially one by Riley McClure ‘27, who channeled his inner jumpman as he rose above two defenders and scored as he fell to the ground.
Officials Jeff Howes, Michael Hall, and Gary Gorman were not shy in calling fouls down to the last minute, receiving substantial parent outcry.
The Camels find themselves tied for last place in the NESCAC after the loss last versus Bates with a conference record of 1-7. Ben Marvin ‘29 reflected on the game saying, “Conn. is not that good.”
Coach Annino continues to pivot the program from his inaugural season in 2023, where the squad went 1-12. The team finished with a 3-11 record in 2024, and in 2025, improved to 9-7. This year, the Bobcats are 9-4 with one game versus Colby College left in the regular season.
Capt. Connor Hartman emphasized the progressively successful seasons for MLax are “built through steady, incremental growth year after year…raising the standard a little more than the year before.
Hartman’s comments hammer home the collective effort of Bates’ Lacrosse over several years. “That kind of culture does not happen overnight, and I think what we are seeing now is the product of years of commitment from a lot of people,” he said.
The Bobcats have leveraged talent at another level this year; the goals in the back of the net continue to move the needle. Men’s lacrosse got their ducks in order with remarkable wins their season against No. 6 Wesleyan, Williams, and Hamilton.
The Bobcats played No. 1 Tufts close, ultimately losing 10-14. Despite the loss, the Bobcats are tied for fifth in the NESCAC with Hamilton (5-4 record), and are locked for the NESCAC playoffs.
As of Wednesday, April 22, Amherst’s win over Trinity makes the Bobcats the 5th seed. Amherst and Bates have the same in-conference record–six wins, four losses–but Amherst took the W against Bates earlier this season, granting Amherst the 4th seed.
Regarding the NESCAC playoffs, Capt. Hartman remains unphased. “We are not focused on expectations or outcomes,” he said. “Our mindset is really about the process…If we stay locked in on our preparation, effort, and playing our style, we trust that the results will take care of themselves.”
