With just 5:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Hamilton quarterback found a receiver for the 41-yard touchdown that pushed the Continentals past the Polar Bears, 14-13.
After that loss, Bowdoin, which—has not won in Clinton since 2002—fell to 1-3 this season.
Hamilton improves to 1-3, tying Bowdoin for sixth in the NESCAC.
Head Coach Dave Caputi called it the “team’s most disappointing loss of the season.”
Quarterback Tommy Romero ’14 led the team with his most productive game yet. He threw for 206 yards on 18-35 and recorded 1 touchdown. However, Romero wasn’t satisfied with his performance.
“We just couldn’t finish drives,” he said. “If we want to improve, we need to be able to finish and not come away with 3 points, but 7.”
“We do what the defensives give us and try to highlight what our players can do,” Caputi said. “We are always trying to attack the defensive scheme.”
Sophomore David Black received most of Romero’s passes, catching five passes for an impressive 71 yards.
Running back Zach Donarumma ’14 added another dimension to the offense with his powerful rushing attack, picking up 84 yards on 27 carries.
Whereas these players have been responsible for most of the offensive production this season, a few new additions to Bowdoin’s starting defense also stood out on the stat sheet.
Sophomore defensive lineman Tom Wells led the team with 9 tackles and sophomore defensive back Jon Fraser recorded 9 tackles and an interception.
Coach John Burrell says he is proud of his defense’s performance this week, commending the younger players for their continued improvement.
“Every week you see those players grow and mature,” he said. “At the same time, we have had some veteran leadership by juniors and seniors leading by example.”
Junior linebacker Griffin Cardew and senior captain Beau Breton combined for 10 tackles in the game.
Breton and Cardew have been defensive leaders all season. Breton recorded 34 tackles, seventh in the conference. Also a punter, Breton ranks fifth in the NESCAC averaging 33.7 yards per punt.
Cardew has racked up 41 tackles, a number that puts him third in the NESCAC—only three tackles behind the leader. He has had some big games, including 16 tackles against Amherst, just one short of the all-time record for Bowdoin.
Brian Glazewski ’14 and Joey Cleary ’14 round out the experienced linebacker core. Glazewski is the spark plug on defense, leading the team in tackles for losses. Cleary provides a strong boost off the bench and has recorded 20 tackles so far this season.
On the other side of the ball, Romero is taking the lead. He has played all four games after he took over as a starter in the first game. On the season, Romero is 54-104 with 588 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Senior receiver Nick Goldin has proven to be a good complement to Romero. With nine receptions for 173 yards, Goldin has established himelf as a reliable big-play receiver.
The threat of running backs Donnarumma and Greg Pierce ’13 provides spacing for the passing game.
The offense has had to overcome key injuries, most notably those of senior receiver Sean O’Malley and Grant White ’14, last year’s starting quarterback.
Despite these productive individual performances, the team is 1-3 and sits at the sixth place in the NESCAC. The players and coaches are quick to note that the record is not reflective of their performance or their potential.
“It’s reflective of the youth and immaturity of the team,” said Burrell.
“We’ve done it to ourselves but it’s not reflective of our talent level,” said Coach Tom Wells. “We’ve hurt ourselves in each game in such a way that we can’t recover. Big plays in the Hamilton game, missed tackles in the Amherst game, and turnovers in the Middlebury game killed us.”
Romero is the first to agree.
“We’ve lost some tough ones and would like to have a better record,” he said.
Bowdoin has improved since the beginning of this season and thier upcoming game against Trinity will provide the Polar Bears with another opportunity to demonstrate their progress and gain a victory.
“When you come off an emotional loss, and the best team is coming in to play you at your house, you can look at it two ways,” said Romero. “We can look at it and say this is pretty tough or this is an opportunity. We look at this as an opportunity.”
On Saturday, Trinity will bring the NESCAC’s best rushing attack to Whittier Field in an attempt to spoil Bowdoin’s homecoming. The Polar Bears have been strong in recent homecoming matchup, winning two of the past three year’s games.
“When you get to play in front of the older guys who were once looking up to, it means a lot,” said Romero.
While the upperclassmen see their last homecoming as a opportunity to reconnect with former teammates and friends, in addition to a chance for a win, the coaching staff seems less focused on the homecoming hype and more excited about the game itself. Burrell says he has yet to get in the festive spirit.
“It’s another game on our schedule for me. Homecoming will become more important,” Burrell said. “Right now, I’m just getting ready to go against one of the best offenses in the league.”
As Bowdoin stands at 1-3 and faces arguably the toughest team in the NESCAC, perhaps Burrell’s attitude is a smart one. The team can leave the festivity and rowdiness to their fellow students.