BY BRIAN GALLAGHER // OCT. 15, 2015 //

The Curry men’s soccer team continued to struggle Wednesday night, losing to Bates College 2-1. The loss is the Colonels’ 4th straight and brings their record to 10-5.

The Colonels struggled in the first half, as Bates was able to put a lot of pressure on the defense and junior goalie Dan Johnson. Curry let up 10 shots but with great play by Johnson, who totaled 5 saves for the half, was able to make it through the half unscathed.

Senior forward Tim Stein appreciated Johnson’s effort in goal. “Dan played really well,” Stein said. “Dan really comes in clutch when we have a lack of unity in the back four.”

In the second half, the play for the Colonels’ offense would get a little better. Curry outshot the Bobcats 8-6, but the defense continued to struggle. In the 70th minute, Curry allowed Bates midfielder Drew Munoz to collect a loose ball inside the 18-yard box, and he found the back of the net for the first goal of the game.

Curry continued to fight and seven minutes later sophomore midfielder Roy Butlin received a perfect through pass from senior forward Matt Cotnoir and one-timed it to tie the game at 1-1.

Play continued to go back and forth with both teams trying to take the lead, until the 83rd minute, when Bates midfielder Ben Lyons took a shot from just outside the box that sailed over Johnson’s head to win the game for the Bobcats.

Although Coach Peter Mendel did not like the play from his team in the tough loss, he knows they are going to be able to bounce back. “I thought we played scared and we didn’t take advantage of opportunities that were given to us,” said Mendel. “We have a quick turnaround so tomorrow we are going to continue training and get ready for Roger Williams in a big conference game.”

• Stuck in their own zone: The Colonels had only 1 corner kick in the first half while Bates had six in the game’s first 45 minutes. Curry will have to do a better job clearing the ball against Roger Williams, or else Johnson’s continued strong goalkeeping will go to waste again.

• Foul-Filled First Half: Both teams received 6 total fouls in the game. Each team was called for four in the first half, and two in the second.

• Up Next: After starting the season 9-0, Curry has now lost five of its last six games. The Colonels will return to action on Friday, Oct. 16 as they head to Roger Williams for 6 p.m start time. Bouncing back in a conference matchup would be a key victory for the stumbling Colonels.