The men's soccer team extended its winning streak to three games last weekend when it completed back-to-back shutout victories against Bates and St. Joseph's (Me.). The Polar Bears improved to 3-1 on the season (1-1 NESCAC).
Leading the Bowdoin charge was explosive forward Eddie Jones '12. His two assists in the September 16 game against Southern Maine, coupled with his two goals against Bates and a tally against St. Joseph's, earned him the NESCAC Player of the Week Award.
In action against St. Josephs last Sunday, Jones scored an unassisted goal with only 11 seconds left in the first half.
The Polar Bears never relinquished the lead, and with 5:52 remaining in the match, Tim Prior '11 received a pass from Nick Powell '12 to put in the insurance tally and seal the 2-0 victory.
Garrick Sheldon '10 stopped all five of the Monks' shots to earn a shutout in his first start of the season.
Powell kept on the offensive pressure throughout the game, his ten shots were twice as many as the Monks took in total.
"We've been generating a lot of offense, and have stayed solid through the back," said co-captain Tom Wakefield '10. In its first four games, Bowdoin has outshot its opponents 66 to 33.
The team also had success last Saturday, blanking Bates 4-0. Again, Jones sparked the scoring for the Polar Bears. Twelve minutes into the match, Danny Chaffetz '11 gunned a throw-in into the box that bumped off of Bates goalie Greg Watts, allowing a waiting Jones to guide the ball into the net.
Then in the 19th minute, a sprinting Nick Powell '12 was taken down in the box, earning Bowdoin a penalty kick that was pounded into the bottom right corner of the net by Call Nichols '12. Both teams had good looks on net, but Bowdoin's 2-0 advantage remained as the teams headed into halftime.
"Younger players are really stepping up," said co-captain Matt Ostrup '10, who has remained sidelined with a leg injury.
In the 64th minute, a Bates cross looked dangerous, but a diving header from Sean Bishop '12 cleared the ball away, costing him a cleat to the head. The 2-0 score lasted until the 84th minute, when Hugh Fleming '10 gained control of the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and deftly laid a ball off to Jones, who pounced on it for his second tally.
Less than a minute later, Chaffetz fired a thrown-in that Peter Kelly '12 flicked to a leaping Carl Woock '10, who headed the ball past the Bates keeper. It was the second time in the game that a Chaffetz throw-in led to a Bowdoin goal.
This weekend, the Bears will be busy with a two game homestand against teams in the NESCAC. "[The weekend] will be a good test," said Wakefield. "It can be a real boost if we win."
Ostrup remained confident, saying, "[Middlebury] is going to be physical. We'll match that."
On Saturday Bowdoin faces off against Middlebury at noon before playing archrival Colby at 1 p.m. on Sunday.