The women's field hockey team continued its undefeated season with a 2-0 shutout over Hamilton last Saturday in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
With seniors McKenna Teague and Elizabeth Clegg finding the net in the first half, the team held onto its lead for 50 minutes. It was the team's eighth shutout in 15 games.
Bowdoin's win was not as stunning as its 6-0 domination during Homecoming Weekend, when the team held Hamilton to zero goal attempts, penalties and corner kicks.
Hamilton was "a lot more familiar with our team, and you could tell, even when they were just warming up, that they looked a lot more confident," said Head Coach Nicky Pearson. "When it comes to tournament time, everybody is fighting for survival, so the stakes are a lot higher. We could really tell that with the way they played."
The Polar Bears head into this weekend occupying the top spot in the most recent D-III field hockey rankings. Bowdoin remains the last undefeated team in the division.
The team will host a NESCAC semifinal game tomorrow at 11 a.m. against No. 5 Trinity, a team that upset No. 4 Tufts last week 2-1. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Middlebury-Amherst semifinal on Sunday at noon.
The final four NESCAC teams are all ranked in the top 14 in the country.
Last time Bowdoin and Trinity met, the Polar Bears were held scoreless until the 58th minute.
"We had some early opportunities that we didn't really put away, so it'll be key to execute on any opportunities we have and to have an understanding that we may get one chance to make a difference in the game," Pearson said.
"We need to play with that sense of urgency," she added.
-Compiled by Ron Cervantes.