LEWISTON, Maine — It was only two weeks ago when the city of Lewiston and the state of Maine changed forever. Eighteen lives were lost and 13 others were injured during last month's mass shooting.
In the wake of that tragedy, Mainers have been finding ways to come together and live out the "Lewiston Strong" mantra we've seen posted on T-shirts, hats, and buildings across the state.
Sports have also helped the community heal and rally together for some sense of normalcy, even if just for a few hours.
Lewiston and Edward Little High Schools held their annual "Battle of the Bridge" football game one week ago. Law enforcement officials, nurses, and other first responders were honored during a special pregame ceremony, headlined by James Taylor's rendition of the National Anthem.
However, another Lewiston-based team took the field the night before on Halloween.
Bates College's field hockey team beat in-state rival Bowdoin in double-overtime to advance in the NESCAC conference tournament as students and fans rushed the field to celebrate.
"No one’s ever going to forget that. I certainly won’t," head coach Dani Kogut said.
It can be tough for a sports team, especially one that calls Lewiston home, to keep focused after that mass shooting. But the Bobcats are staying motivated to provide more great moments for the community.
“We all live here and call this place home and Bates and Lewiston are really intertwined so I think that will continue to motivate us," Kogut added.
Bates qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history this fall. The Bobcats hosted Johnson & Wales University Wednesday night for a first-round matchup.
“It’s huge for everybody here," Bates Director of Athletics Jason Fein said Wednesday afternoon. “I think [this tragedy] has helped bolster the strength of our student-athletes and their relationship with [Lewiston]".
A "Lewiston Strong" banner has been displayed behind the field hockey stadium for nearly two weeks. The team collected donations for the Lewison-Auburn Area Response Fund.
Fein said nothing can prepare student-athletes for what his Bobcats have gone through these past two weeks, but Wednesday night's game will be another opportunity for Mainers to come together and cheer for their local team.
"I think Bates feeds off of Lewiston; I think Lewiston feeds off of Bates," he added.
Kogut also said her coaching staff and student-athletes have had open conversations about the mass shooting and used it as an opportunity to check-in on them as they process what happened. There are also four Mainers on the Bobcats' roster.
Paige and Anna Cote are from nearby Auburn. Anna led Bates in scoring this season. Molly Harmon is from Farmington and Kami Lambert is from Augusta. The Cote sisters each scored during Wednesday's game, it was Paige's first goal of the season.
Bates defeated Johnson & Wales University 7-0 Wednesday night. It marked the field hockey program’s first-ever NCAA tournament win. Auburn natives Paige and Anna Cote each scored twice for the Bobcats. Bates will play Babson on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the third round of the tournament.
