Though the women’s soccer team captured its first NCAA D-III Tournament win since 1999 this past Saturday, it was eliminated from the competition on Sunday after falling 7-0 to regional host Montclair State.
The Polar Bears finished their regular season seeded third in the conference at 11-2-1 (7-2-1 NESCAC) but lost to Tufts in the NESCAC quarterfinals. However, the team’s season continued two weeks later after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Bowdoin drew Christopher Newport University, which boasted a 14-3-2 record, on Saturday for its first-round matchup. The game was close from the start, with both sides fighting to take a first-half lead. The Polar Bears very nearly took the lead 15 minutes in, as winger Abby Einwag ’15 let a shot rip from the left of the goal, forcing CNU goalkeeper Haley Casanova to make a diving stop.
But just past the 30-minute mark, Bowdoin keeper Bridget McCarthy ’16 was finally beaten, as CNU forward Lindsay Mondloch took a shot from the top of the box and found the right side of the net.
Bowdoin trailed 1-0 at the end of the first half. However, Head Coach Brianne Weaver said she was very happy with her team’s approach going into the second half.
“The score didn’t really affect them. They didn’t feel down or defeated when they went in for halftime,” she said.
The Polar Bears came out hot in the second half, firing off four quick shots in the first 15 minutes of the period, compared to just one for CNU.
The momentum was shifting, and Bowdoin finally capitalized in the 62nd minute. A low cross from Maggie Godley ’16 was finished by leading scorer Kiersten Turner ’16 to tie the game. Turner, who netted 12 goals this season, was named to the All-NESCAC First Team earlier this year.
Just two minutes later, the Polar Bears took the lead. Godley, assisted by Jenna DiCicco ’15, shot from the right corner of the 18-yard box and scored her first goal of the season. Captain Molly Popolizio ’14 sealed the victory with 18 minutes remaining, after receiving an early cross from Morgan Woodhouse ’14.
On defense, All-NESCAC First Team captain Becky Stoneman ’14 led the Bowdoin backfield in limiting CNU to just two second-half shots. The game ended 3-1 and Bowdoin advanced to face Montclair State on Sunday.
Weaver described the highly touted second-round match as “probably the strangest game I’ve ever coached”. A dense fog hung over the field, severely limiting visibility. The referees, frequently unable to see each other, used earpieces to communicate and make offside calls.
Bowdoin fought hard, but again found themselves down at halftime, this time 2-0. McCarthy was beaten on two crosses, one a header from just outside the six-yard box. Montclair rattled off 13 shots in the first half and 27 total, while Bowdoin managed only two in the first half and three in the second.
“It was really difficult for the coaching staff to give the team a picture of what was happening because we couldn’t see half the picture,” she said.
Coming out of halftime, Montclair quickly added another goal. Bowdoin countered with three quick shots, but still the Polar Bears were kept off the scoreboard. The Red Hawks gradually won back the momentum after Bowdoin’s surge, scoring four more times before the final whistle blew.
Though Weaver was hesitant to make excuses, she said the odd weather conditions almost certainly aided Montclair’s very direct style of play—characterized by numerous through-balls and speedy forwards.
The Bowdoin women finish their season at 12-4-1. In addition to Turner and Stoneman being named First Team All-NESCAC, Popolizio and Jamie Hofstetter ’16 were named to the Second Team.