The Bowdoin College Field Hockey Team continued its offensive rampage, outscoring its opponents 15-0 in the last two games. The team's prolific goal production gave the Polar Bears a 9-0 win against University of Southern Maine (USM) and allowed the Bears to take a definitive 6-0 decision against Trinity (4-4 NESCAC). Defensively, Bowdoin has been impassable, recording 12 shutouts in 13 games this season. The Polar Bears have also held onto their No. 1 ranking in the latest STX/NFHCA Division III National Poll.
Tuesday night at Ryan Field, Bowdoin defeated USM to bump its NCAA-best home game winning streak to 28 straight. The Polar Bears got goals from all over the roster, including first year Michaela Calnan's first career goal.
"This game was truly a testament to the depth of our team, and it's pretty amazing that we can keep rotating through players while maintaining a high level of play," senior tri-captain Hillary Hoffman said.
"USM was a strong team, but everyone from Bowdoin, whether they started on the field or on the bench, had their game faces on that day and that's really what we are going for every game," Hoffman said.
In the first half, sophomore Shavonne Lord opened up the scoring with an assist from junior Lindsay McNamara. McNamara then scored when she tipped in a shot fired by junior Julia King off of a penalty corner. Junior Maddie McQueeney added the third goal when she redirected a cross-ball into the net. McNamara put away another goal soon after.
The team's intensity carried into the second half with Calnan's goal as well as a tally by first year Jessie Small. Junior Tamlyn Frederick then added two scores?one was a rocketed shot and the other a tip after a scuffle in the circle. Sophomore Megan McCullough put away the ninth goal when she finished on a penalty corner opportunity in the final play of the game.
Last Saturday, Bowdoin beat Trinity in its last NESCAC match on the road. McNamara put the Polar Bears on the board just before the 10-minute mark, for the first goal of her hat trick during the game. Junior Kristen Veiga redirected a penalty corner feed by King into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. McQueeney then completed a passing sequence from King for another tally.
"Our passing has been a focus in practice over the last few weeks. It was very fluid throughout the game which allowed us to control the play," King said.
In the second half, McNamara scored twice to complete her goal trio with assists from first year Ingrid Oelschalger and King. In between McNamara's two goals, Oelschalger bombed down the field and beat the Bantam goalkeeper for a notch of her own.
Junior Leah Ferenc said, "We finally had everybody working together on the same page to create opportunities and that was key."
During Parents Weekend, Bowdoin will face Wesleyan (3-5 NESCAC) in its last regular season game at 11 a.m. at Ryan Field.
In preparing for the Cardinals, Head Coach Nicky Pearson said, "We approach practice everyday knowing we must grow and improve as a team. Even late in the season, there is a focus on player development so that we can realize our full potential."
Bowdoin has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the league, a first-round bye, and the right to sponsor the NESCAC tournament the following weekend.
They will face the lowest remaining seed in the tournament on November 3.