The Bowdoin Orient

With wins at Wesleyan (1-4 overall, 0-1 NESCAC) and Colby (2-3 overall, 1-2 NESCAC) last week, the Bowdoin Field Hockey team retained its No. 1 national ranking and is slated to face defending National Champion No. 3 Middlebury tomorrow in the Polar Bears’ biggest matchup of the regular season.

The Polar Bears and Panthers have dominated the league, facing off in the NESCAC Championship match for the past five years. Bowdoin was victorious in the NESCAC final last year, but was ultimately bested by Middlebury in the National Championship game.

“Losing to Middlebury in the National Championship last year is something the returners on this team will never forget,” said captain Kimmy Ganong ’17. “Although we all have that memory of how we felt on that field at the end of 70 minutes, we know that this is a new season with a different team. However, the goal is still the same—to beat every single opponent we face. Our focus at the moment is the game on Saturday and nothing else.”

Any anticipation for the match hasn’t changed the team’s approach to the week as they hone in on continuing to improve.

“Our focus this week has been just like any other week—getting better at the little things,” said Ganong. “[Head Coach Nicky Pearson] challenges each and every one of us to get better every day. Each member of this team is expected to come to practice with goals set and things to work on that will help this team win.”

The Polar Bears have started the year with an incredible run. After a win in the season opener to University of New England (UNE), the Polar Bears have knocked off four NESCAC opponents in a row.

The team hasn’t shown any signs of weakness; their closest game thus far was a 3-1 victory against UNE. In league play, the team has only allowed one goal all season, which came in a clinical 6-1 victory against Colby on Tuesday. Despite the margin of victory, the team is not letting up and continues to look for areas upon which to improve.

“It is extremely important to all of us that we learn from each game so we can make improvements for our next game,” said Ganong. “Something that stood out to us all about the Colby game was that we came out flat in warm-ups and the first half.”

“Luckily we went ahead 2-1 at the end of the first half and then were able to really step up our play in the second half and score four more goals.”

With four national titles in the past decade, the program is one of the most decorated at Bowdoin and knows very well the high level of play the sport demands.

“This team is coached and expected to play Bowdoin field hockey for all 70 minutes of the game,” said Ganong. “We remind ourselves of that and we hold each other accountable because we know that is what it takes to win.”

With Colby behind them, the Polar Bears are now focusing completely on the Panthers, who have had an impressive start to the season themselves, winning all three games so far including two NESCAC matchups against Connecticut College and Amherst. The revenge match will take place tomorrow at noon at Middlebury.

This October, men’s club rugby Head Coach Rick Scala announced that he would step down at the close of the 2015-2016 season, after thirty years at the helm of the program.Scala’s coaching position has not yet been filled for the fall season.

Scala hopes to continue to work with the team in the fall in a reduced role. Still, it marks the end of a longstanding and successful era for the team. 

Scala is known for his effective blend of coaching players and teaching the game of rugby. He has had great success in bringing in players who have never played before and teaching them the game. According to current players, Scala focuses on getting players to love and enjoy the sport, which breeds a sense of devotion among players.

Scala reflected on his time at Bowdoin and his favorite parts of coaching over the years, emphasizing that the relationships he created with players and coaches have been highlights, providing him with many lifelong friends.

“More than I can count,” said Scala.  

One of the most important elements to the rugby team is its network of dedicated alumni. Under Scala, the program has created an atmosphere of team camaraderie from the first week of practice well into each player’s life after Bowdoin. 

Coach Scala went out on a high note with an outstanding team performance at the Beast of the East tournament on April 23-24. The team fought hard all weekend, earning a runner up finish in the event. The semi-final victory against Colby, a major rival, was a highlight of the weekend.

The Polar Bears started the tournament strong with a commanding victory over Massachusetts Maritime. In game two, the team jumped to an early lead against Babson and had to withstand a late surge by the Beavers to hold on to the win. The two wins on the first day earned the Polar Bears a spot in the quarterfinals the following day. 

The next day the team managed a convincing win versus Western Connecticut for the third straight win of the tournament. 

Next up was Colby. After a hard- fought match the contest remained tied at the final whistle and went to sudden death overtime. In the second five-minute period, Zeph Williams ’19 found space on the outside and, about to score the winning try, was taken down when a Colby player tackled him illegally around the neck. The Polar Bears were awarded a penalty try and won the match 17-12.

The weekend was a real capstone for Scala’s tenure as head coach.

“This spring we had a relatively inexperienced squad that really rose to the occasion,” said Scala. “Usually it takes some time before the players get to the level where they can compete on the championship level, and they ended up being runner up in the largest collegiate tournament in the world.”  

Of the final four teams in the tournament, three are from Maine. 

“I think that the Maine league is better top to bottom than most of the other leagues,” said Scala. “A lot of the other leagues may have one or two really good teams, but it drops off quickly. There is not much of a falloff in Maine.” 

Scala noted that the strength of the competition in Maine is great for the team because it fosters an excellent environment for team-wide improvement. Every game forces the team to work hard to meet the high bar of competition and, with Scala at the helm, the team enjoyed remarkable success this past year.

After a 9-6-1 start to the season over spring break, the softball team hoped to progress past its inconsistent start. However, the team has experienced more of the same, and currently sits at third place in the NESCAC East with a 4-5 divisional record and 14-13-2 record overall. The team has only three divisional games left to hopefully overtake Trinity (3-3 divisional record) and claim one of the top two spots in the division that make the playoffs.

The team’s first game back was a hard fought 7-5 loss against the three-time defending national champions, Tufts. The team went on to face Bates in a three game series at home.

In the first game of the Bates series, the team faced a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning. Katie Gately ’16 was able to get the ball rolling with a single, followed by another from Claire McCarthy ’18. With two runners on base, Marisa O’Toole ’17 stepped up to the plate and drove both runners home with a triple. Bates was able to tie the score and push extra innings, but in the bottom of the eighth Lauren O’Shea ’18 knocked a hit over the Bates shortstop to drive in O’Toole for the win.

After the late inning heroics, the Polar Bears went on to sweep the series by winning both games of the doubleheader the following day. The offense was led by Gately, who tallied a double in game one and three hits, leading to all three RBIs, in game two. 

Bowdoin then returned to Tufts to complete the three game series against the Jumbos, starting off with a doubleheader in Medford. Despite a great effort, the Tufts offense proved to be too much. The Polar Bears gave up 11 runs in each game, resulting in two losses and a series sweep. 

Doubleheaders in general provide an opportunity to play a lot of softball, but it is very difficult to maintain tenacity and focus for two long games in one day. 

“A doubleheader gives you a lot of opportunity to play, but we still approach each pitch one at a time,” said Julia Geaumont ’16.

Despite the losses to Tufts, the team is still confident in their ability to take down the powerhouse program if given the opportunity to play them again.

“Tufts is the team to beat,” said Geaumont. “They are amazing offensively but not unbeatable. Tufts is just a team that won’t back down.”

The team was determined to bounce back after the tough losses to Tufts, and managed to rally against the University of Southern Maine (USM) in a doubleheader on April 13. Looking as if they might drop another game, the Polar Bears found themselves down by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. With the final out on the line, McCarthy stepped up again with an RBI double to shift momentum back to the Bowdoin side. Next up was Samantha Valdivia ’19, who knocked in the final two runs of the game and finished the late-game rally for the Polar Bears. Geaumont earned the win on the mound and had two doubles in the game. 

In the second game, USM came back with a vengeance, scoring two quick runs in the first to jump to a quick lead. After tying the score, Bowdoin let up three runs in the bottom of the final inning, and once again looked to their clutch offense to get the job done. The Polar Bears proved up to the challenge, as Jordan Gowdy ’18 and Ali Miller ’18 got on base with back-to-back singles. After a double from Caroline Rice ’19, Geaumont followed up on her strong game one performance and knocked a double and two RBIs to tie the game and allow the Polar Bears to escape unbeaten on the day.

Because only two teams make the playoffs, the team’s only remaining conference matchup against Trinity on April 29 and 30 will be decide whether they make the postseason. The team will most likely have to win all three games against the Bantams. 

“It speaks to our team that we never back down and keep fighting until the end,” said Geaumont. “We push it when it’s late. We will push it until the end just like we do during the final innings… We want to play to our best ability and leave it all on the field.”

The men’s ice hockey team was able to carry its unbeaten streak through the final two games of the season to clinch the third seed of the NESCAC playoffs. Last weekend, the Polar Bears tied Tufts and beat Conn College, playing both games on the road.  

The team traveled to Tufts last Saturday, looking to finish the season strong and host a home playoff game. Captain Matt Rubinoff ’16 gave the Polar Bears the early lead, netting the first goal 3:41 into the first period. The Polar Bears let one slip past goaltender Peter Cronin ’18 in the 10th minute of the game, but Joe Lace ’17 responded by knocking in a shot in the final minute of the first periodto take a 2-1 lead. Tufts tied the score again before Spencer Antunez ’18 added another for the Polar Bears, who couldn’t seem to keep the Jumbos from re-entering the game. 

The Jumbos scored two back-to-back in the third period to take their first lead of the game, threatening Bowdoin’s chances of winning home ice for the playoffs. But, Bowdoin responded. On a fast break, Rubinoff carried the puck over the blue line, cutting across the ice and dropped it back to Camil Blanchet ’18, who sidestepped a defender, setting up Matt Lison ’18 for the game-tying goal. 

In overtime, Cronin stopped all seven shots that he faced, but the Polar Bear offense was unable to find the winning goal. 

Having escaped the game against Tufts with a tie, the team travelled to New London, Conn. to face the Conn College Camels, who the Polar Bears had defeated 8-3 at home in December. Looking to ensure their standing in the playoffs, the Polar Bears were eager for a win, which would cap off a 10-game unbeaten streak leading into the playoffs. 

 Lison put Bowdoin on the board 3:24 into the first period. After an equalizer from the Camels, Chris Fenwick ’16 put Bowdoin ahead once again to end the period. After two goals by the Camels and another by Cody Todesco ’19, the Polar Bears again found themselves in a close game in the final minutes. However, Rubinoff came through yet again for the Polar Bears, scoring the game-winner with 3:13 left in the game. Cronin stopped 23 shots in the contest. Next, the team will prepare to host sixth-seeded Amherst College on Saturday in a quarterfinal matchup. Bowdoin tied Amherst in their first meeting of the season but was able to come away with a 3-1 win in their latest matchup. 

The name of the game for the Polar Bears will be discipline and defense, as Bowdoin has averaged 3.12 goals per game throughout this season (2nd in the NESCAC). In both of the previous two matchups against the Purple & White, the Polar Bears were sent to the penalty box six times.

Amherst is the defending NESCAC champion, and the Purple & White will be eager to fight their way back into the finals again this year. They ended the season with a 7-8-3 NESCAC record. 

This game will mark the final matchup between long time coaching rivals Head Coach Terry Meagher and Amherst Coach Jack Arena, who have both been coaching in the NESCAC for 33 seasons. Amherst and Bowdoin have both had excellent track records during the last 33 years under the leadership of these two coaches, although Bowdoin leads the all-time postseason record 6-1.

“I have never been on a team that has overcome so much adversity over a season,” said Fenwick. “From the bottom of the pack at the mid-season mark, we were able to win out and claim revenge over all of the best hockey clubs in our league. The adversity we have had to deal with has made us a force to be reckoned with, and everybody in our locker room is confident that we can win another NESCAC championship for the program.

“We have looked great in practice all year long and as the final practices wind down, all are prepared to play our best hockey yet when it counts the most. With a single elimination playoff structure, there is no tomorrow after a loss,” added Fenwick. 

While Bowdoin is riding the hot hand of a 10-game unbeaten streak, no team can be counted out in the NESCAC playoffs. The Polar Bears will take the ice tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Sidney J. Watson Arena in what should prove to be a hard-fought matchup of two veteran NESCAC coaches. 

Women’s Basketball claimed the third seed in the NESCAC playoffs with back-to-back road wins this weekend against Wesleyan University and Connecticut College. Now the Polar Bears will attempt to climb their way back to the NESCAC championship, where the team suffered a hard fought loss against Tufts last season. 

The team entered last weekend poised for a top four seeding and a home playoff game. Their first obstacle was the Wesleyan Cardinals who needed a win in order to rise into playoff contention. 

Captain and lone senior Shannon Brady led the scoring effort with 16 on the Polar Bears’ way to a 75-34 victory. 

Bowdoin dominated almost every aspect of the game in the 39 point win. Defensively the team held Wesleyan to just 22% from the field while knocking in 48% from the field on their offensive end. 

The Bowdoin bench stepped up in the scoring effort as well, led by Hannah Graham ’19 with 11, outscoring the Cardinal Bench 40-9. 

Next the team turned their attention to the Conn College Camels who were also vying for the number 3 seed in the NESCAC. 

Bowdoin began with a great first quarter and were able to carry the lead throughout the rest of the game. Bowdoin won each of the first three quarters, and despite a last minute push by the Camels the Polar Bears were able to maintain the lead through the final whistle, ending the game with a 73-61 victory. 

Sophomore guard Kate Kerrigan led the Bowdoin effort with 11 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. The scoring was topped again by Brady who had another impressive performance with 21 points. 

Bowdoin’s shooting percentage dropped from their last game but the team was able to compensate with excellent team play, beating out Conn College in rebounds (42-37), turnovers (8-16) and second chance points (17-10). 

Bowdoin ended the regular season with an overall record of 19-5 (8-2 NESCAC). Next the team will prepare to take on Williams at 3:00 tomorrow. Bowdoin faced Williams at home in January and knocked off the Ephs (74-62). 

As playoffs approach, the team mentality shifts toward one of increased focus on execution. As every game from here on out becomes win or go home. The Polar Bears find themselves on the brink of the playoffs as they were last year, and the returning players are eager for another shot at the NESCAC title. Even though the personnel is similar to last year’s lineup, each year brings new changes and new challenges to every college roster. 

“Having new players and having seniors leave, every team feels very different in their own way,” said Kerrigan ’18. “But something that’s nice about the bowdoin basketball team is that our coach really holds us to a high standard, and every year that standard is the same no matter who left or who came in.” 

Even with a few different players the team has been able to carry through the high level of intensity and commitment that has been instrumental in the success of this program throughout the past few seasons. This high standard has no doubt been achieved through the strong leadership of the only senior on the team, Shannon Brady. Brady has led the scoring effort all season and has been a constant presence of positive energy and effort which is reflected in the success of such a young team. 

Even though the Polar Bears were triumphant in their last meeting with Williams, in the NESCAC no team can ever be taken too lightly. The Ephs have a strong lineup with several players over six feet in height, so rebounding will be key for a successful effort from the Polar Bears. The playoffs require everyone on the court to bring their best effort. 

“Throughout the whole season you want to win every game that you can and play the best that you can,” said Kerrigan, “but once you hit the playoffs it starts to get a little different because you realize if you don’t play your best one day, this could be your last day on the court. I think everyone has a little extra to give and really digs deep to find it during the playoffs.”

The men’s ice hockey team (10-7-3 overall, 6-5-3 NESCAC) has been on a roll lately with six straight wins since the team’s last loss on January 16. This streak has been spurred on by a new “three-back” formation that the Polar Bears have implemented this season. Instead of playing the typical 2-3 formation Bowdoin has opted to exchange a forward for a defenseman, playing a more strategic, defensive style of hockey. This system is rarely used nowadays, but has shown up in the hockey world now and again over the years. Although rare, it has been working for the team this season. Seeing as this is Head Coach Terry Meagher’s final season after coaching for 33 years, the Bears have additional incentive to perform well.

“When you start playing three-back it feels like a whole new style of play,” said defenseman Camil Blanchet ’18. “You have to get out of the classical hockey mentality, get out of what you’ve been taught, but once you learn to think about the way the system works, the gameplay becomes more fluid and it really confuses the other team.”

Bowdoin began the season slow, coming out of the first stint with a tie and three losses. Now that the players have adjusted to the system however, the Polar Bears are putting up strong defensive performances, only allowing eight goals in the last six games, while putting up strong scoring performances. This success has also been due to the outstanding play of goaltender Peter Cronin ’18. He has played phenomenally this season, tallying a .945 save percentage on the year. Cronin’s efforts in net, along with a successful new system, has propelled Bowdoin up the ladder in the NESCAC. The team currently sits at fourth place in the NESCAC, only trailing the third place team by a point.

Last weekend the team continued their strong play by defeating two NESCAC opponents on the road. On Friday the team traveled down to Amherst to face off against the Purple and White, who were thrown off by the three-back system.

“It has really simplified the way we can see the game and at the same time expanded the way we play it,” said Captain Matt Rubinoff ’16. “For other teams it feels as though it’s complicating their structure. When we’re getting other teams in the first 10 or 15 minutes to have to change and adapt to what we’re doing, we are dictating the pace and dictating our type of game.”

After seeing the Bowdoin defense control the first stretch of the game, Amherst attempted to adjust their game plan in order to deal with the extra defenseman. The Polar Bears were able to capitalize on the confusion, winning the game 3-1. 

Austin Ricci ’19 knocked in the first goal of the game with 5:46 left on the clock in the first period. After a tying goal by Amherst, Spencer Antunez ’18 and Matt Lison ’18 each put one past the Amherst goalie to ensure the win. Cronin stopped 36 of 37 shots in the victory. Next the team traveled to Hamilton to take on the third place Continentals. Led by the stick of Rubinoff, the Polar Bears cruised to a 6-2 victory, bringing them within arms reach of a fourth place seed and a home playoff game.

The team started out strong by scoring three goals in two minutes halfway through the first period off the sticks of Rubinoff, Jay Kourkoulis ’17 and Jason Nawrocki ’18. The Polar Bears never looked back as they carried the lead through the game led yet again by the great play in net from Cronin.

The Bears will now focus on the final four games of the season, all against NESCAC opponents. This weekend will see their final home games of the season and the final regular season home game for Meagher, who is excited for another opportunity to perform in the NESCAC playoffs.

“The most exciting thing for me, coaching for so many years, is that you want your team to be competitive at the end of the year,” said Meagher. “It’s playing your best, playing up to your potential and then you can lay it on the line and leave it all on the ice.” 

Once the final games of the season come around the playoff mentality switches on and every game becomes more important.     

“I think the mentality does change,” said Meagher. “Margin of error becomes very tight. We are in a one and out system in the NESCAC. You have to do everything you can do to be prepared for that one and out.” 

The team will have quite a challenge ahead of them facing Wesleyan (2-5-7 NESCAC) tomorrow and Trinity (11-3-0 NESCAC) on Sunday.

When the players on the women’s basketball team returned to Morrell Gym from their shortened Winter Break, they all had one goal in mind: to return to the NESCAC Championship, where they lost to Tufts last season. 

The motivation showed. The team kicked off its post-break competition on December 30 with a 69-55 road win against MIT. Since the end of the first semester, the team has tallied a 9-3 record (5-2 NESCAC), and has done so in style, recording an average margin of victory of 26 points over that stretch. 

“Being here over Winter Break is something that helped our team chemistry,” said Shannon Brady ’16. “I think it helps build that consistency, so that when people do come back from break we are already in the flow of things.” 

The break allows the players the opportunity to bond both on and off the court. It provides an environment where the athletes can focus on developing their game without other distractions. For the Polar Bears, the primary focus of the extra time was sharpening skills on the defensive end of the court. The team’s defense has been nearly unstoppable, keeping opponent scores low and allowing the offense to win games. 

“Coach [Adrienne Shibles] really encourages defense and we’ve really bought into that,” said Rachel Norton ’17.  “You can have an off night offensively, but if you’re bringing the defense consistently it will really help you win games. We are always focused on having our offense come from our defense. Defense is all heart, intelligence and intensity—all things that are always in our control.” 

The Polar Bear defense centers around tenacity, which has been boosted by the strong presence and spirit brought in by the Class of 2019. 

“It’s always interesting when you have a big freshman class come in,” said Brady. “They’ve been really great at transitioning and bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm.” 

The five first years have given the team a new life and have transitioned seamlessly into the program. This added depth has come in clutch during hard fought games and becomes more essential as the season moves on towards the playoffs. This year’s group has been excellent at rebounding after a loss, as the team has won each game following a loss since the break. “We’ve dropped a few tough games,” said Norton, “but overall we’ve responded positively, and used the losses to motivate us and learn from our mistakes so we can move forward.” 

The team is currently on a three game win streak, kicked off by an impressive 71-36 NESCAC victory at Trinity on January 23. The defense stepped up yet again with 26 forced turnovers while holding the Bantams to only 14 percent shooting from the field. The offensive effort was lead by Brady, who netted 19 points while corralling a team-high nine rebounds. 

After another win against Husson, the Polar Bears traveled to Colby to face the rival Mules. Bowdoin dominated the whole game, winning every quarter on the way to a 62-49 victory. Brady led the scoring effort again with 13, and first year Abigail Kelly knocked down nine points off the bench to keep the Polar Bears ahead. 

The defense shined again, as the team won the rebound battle 40-25 and Colby was held to 32.6 percent from the field. Kate Kerrigan ’18 also had a strong performance, recording 12 points and seven rebounds in the win.

Now the team will look to finish out the final four games of the season against all conference opponents. Currently sitting at fourth place in the NESCAC, the next four games are very important for deciding seeding for the playoffs. The team will look to make it to the NESCAC championship in back to back years.

“In the NESCAC any team can win on any given day,” said Brady, “and when the playoffs come that is even more crucial. So we just focus in on what we do more so than the other team and what Bowdoin basketball represents because a team can have a great shooting night, they can have a horrible shooting night, you never really know. So it’s more about focusing on what we’ve been preparing all season.”

The team will host Hamilton tonight at 7 p.m., and Middlebury tomorrow at 3 p.m., who currently stand the ninth and sixth in the NESCAC, respectively.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams have sprinted out to an excellent start to the 2016 season with four top-five finishes in the first two meets of the year. 

The men started the winter season with a win in the Bowdoin Invitational I and a second place finish in the following week’s Bowdoin Invitational II. The women placed fourth out of five teams and fourth out of ten teams in the same two meets. 

The team had a later start to competition this season than usual, as the first meet of the year was not until January 16, 10 weeks after the start of training and more than a month later than the start of the winter season the previous year. However, this extended preseason training provided the teams with much needed time to prepare for the first meet. 

“I think it helped a lot for team dynamics and also to get in the base training that you can’t during the normal season,” said Meghan Bellerose ’17. 

Without having to prepare for weekly meets, the athletes can focus on long term goals and on improving in their individual events.

The men’s team’s first victory was spurred by several outstanding individual performances. In the sprinting events, John Kennealy ’18 won the 600 meter run (1:24.05), Conor Donahue ’18 won the 800 meter race (2:00.82), and Nate Kent ’18 took first place in the 60 meter hurdles (8.72). In the long distance events, Nicholas Walker ’16 also had a first place finish in the 5000 meters with a time of 15:23.28.  

In addition, the team of Myles Caldwell ’19, Connor Rockett ’19, Christian Heath ’18 and Matt Jacobson ’17 took first in the 4x800 with a time of 8:20.82. 

The Polar Bears also excelled in the field with victories in the long jump by Stephan DeCarlo ’18 (6.73m) and in the triple jump by Brian Greenberg ’18 (14.10m). Rounding out the victory, Joseph Staudt ’19 earned an impressive 4,062 points to win the heptathlon in his first collegiate meet. 

In women’s track, Bellerose ’17 took first in the 800 meters with a time of 2:21.43, and Sarah Kelley ’18 won the one mile run with a time of 5:08.97 during the first weekend of competition. 

In the field events, Katharine Krupp ’16 earned a school record and a first place finish in the triple jump (11.60m), and Pamela Zabala ’17 won the shot put, throwing for 11.73m. Addison Carvajal ’16 swept the field, winning the pentathlon with a score of 3,328 points. 

The team has improved and expanded its arsenal of players in the past few years, moving from a distance-oriented team to a more well-rounded group capable of putting up big team scores in meets.

The scene from an indoor track meet is nothing short of chaos, with hundreds of players moving about the cramped field house competing, warming up, stretching and watching, all while trying to stay out of everyone else’s way. Through this madness the players are forced into close quarters which fosters an atmosphere for a cohesive and dedicated group. Both teams share facilities and coaches, which makes the program feel like one united group. This team bonding proved effective as the team prepared to host its second meet of the season on January 23rd. 

In the second weekend of competition, the men’s team placed second in a tough field of teams that included many powerhouse programs, losing only to MIT, who finished 27th out of the 74 teams that made the DIII Championships last year. The team took first in two events with Jacob Ellis ’16 winning the 800 with a time of 1:57.50 and DeCarlo topping the competition in the long jump with a height of 6.88m, his personal best. 

Staudt ’19 continued his impressive rookie season by breaking the school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.47 seconds. 

On the women’s side, Bellerose produced a strong showing again in the 800 with a second place finish (2:22.45), and the duo of Kelley and Demi Feder ’17 took second and third in the 1000, with times of 2:59.17 and 3:02.17 respectively. 

Both teams will be competing at home tomorrow at 1:00 P.M. in their final home meet of the season. 

The men’s lacrosse team lost its final game of the season 15-9 at home against Tufts, bringing its record to 3-12 for the season (2-8 NESCAC). The Polar Bears finished the season tied for last in the NESCAC and did not qualify for the conference tournament for the first time in 20 years.

Last Saturday, the Polar Bears fell to the Wesleyan Cardinals 9-8, despite a late fourth-quarter effort. Bowdoin started strong, earning a 3-2 lead after the first 15 minutes of play, with goals from Shawn Daly ’18, Sam Hodgson ’16 and Brandon Lee ’17.  

After the first quarter, Wesleyan began to take control of the contest with five unanswered goals through the next two periods of play. 

Down 7-3 going into the fourth, the Polar Bears needed to rally in order to find a way back into the game. Captain David Nemirov ’15 was able to capitalize on an early chance, ending the Wesleyan streak just 10 seconds into the final quarter. After one more goal from Wesleyan, Bowdoin strung together four goals in a row to even the score at eight. Nemirov capped off the rally by scoring another goal with five minutes left in the game. 

Two minutes after Bowdoin tied the game, the Cardinals found the net one last time to take the lead for good. Despite the loss, Bowdoin generated the majority of the scoring chances in the contest, leading Wesleyan 34-30 in shots. 

Wednesday’s game against Tufts was not as competitive. The Jumbos went up 3-1 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 7-3 going into the half. Tufts put the game away in the third quarter, extending its lead by three, en route to a 15-9 win.

The men’s lacrosse team won its second game in a row last weekend to notch its first set of consecutive wins this season. The Polar Bears were once again led by David Nemirov ’15, who netted three goals in the contest to lead the team to a 12-7 victory against Connecticut College last Saturday. On Tuesday, the Polar Bears fell 13-9 at Colby.

The strong first year class led the charge out of the gate, as a pair of goals from first years Matthew Crowell and Shawn Daily gave Bowdoin the early lead. 

The Camels responded with two goals of their own to tie the contest before Daniel O’Berry ’17 tallied a goal to close out the quarter 3-2 in favor of the Polar Bears. 

Bowdoin did not look back from that point on and never trailed once in the contest.

The team worked efficiently as a unit. Bowdoin won the battle in shots (45-38), ground balls (18-14), turnovers (11-12) and power play goals (1-0). The team chemistry in the game was aided by the playmaking of Brandon Lee ’17, who contributed five assists in the win. 

While the offense generated scoring chances, Peter Mumford ’17 turned away 11 shots to fend off the Camels and secure the win. 

“We just need to stay the course,” said Mumford. “We have to keep playing and string together good plays, because we know we can do it.”

The win gave the Polar Bears their first consecutive victories of the season, hopefully indicating that things may be finally looking up for the 3-10 squad.

“We feel pretty good about where we’re at right now as a team” said Head Coach Jason Archbell. 

“There is a lot of learning that goes on in the game and we have such a short period time  with our teams.”

“Usually in the NESCAC you’re gonna face much older teams, with a lot more juniors and seniors that have more experience playing in the league. So you kind of have to fight your way through that. Try not to let mistakes compound in games, try to learn from mistakes very quickly, and sometimes that can be hard,” added Archbell.

On Tuesday, the Polar Bears lost to Colby despite multi-goal performances from Lee, Nemirov, Crowell, and Daniel Buckman ’18.

Bowdoin struggled to connect in the first half, trailing 8-3 early in the third quarter. However, Lee was able to find the net five minutes into the quarter, sparking a four-goal run for the Polar Bears. They fought back to within one, but Colby remained composed and held off the attack, ending with a run of their own to end the contest 13-9. 

With the loss Bowdoin sits in the ninth spot in the NESCAC with a conference record of 2-6. The team will host Wesleyan (5-3 NESCAC) tomorrow at 1 p.m. and finish its regular season at home on Wednesday against Tufts.

After suffering a blowout loss at the hands of Endicott last weekend, the men’s lacrosse team got back on track by taking down Babson on Tuesday, giving the Polar Bears their second win of the season.

Endicott took control of the game early; the Gulls tallied the first 14 goals and held Bowdoin scoreless through the first three quarters. Brandon Lee ’17 was able to find the net twice in the final minutes to get the Polar Bears on the board, but it was too little too late as Bowdoin lost 16-3.

Bowdoin was unable to secure possessions in the contest, which allowed Endicott to maintain steady control throughout the game. Bowdoin won only six face-offs to Endicott’s 16, and lost the ground ball differential 29-19.

The team was able to break its six-game losing streak and bring its record to 2-9 with a closely-contested win at Babson three days later.

The game started as a back-and-forth affair, as neither team could secure more than a one-goal lead for the first 23 minutes. There were five lead changes in this stretch, but the Polar Bears were able to hang in and use the momentum to open up a five-goal scoring run sparked by a goal from Matthew Crowell ’18 five minutes into the second quarter.

“Every possession counts in that sort of situation,” said Lee. “Our defense came up huge down the stretch and our offense was able to put a bunch on the board in the second quarter. After that initial back-and-forth bout, we were able to separate ourselves.”

Rob Talcott ’15 had a fantastic game for the Polar Bears, winning 17 of the 29 faceoffs in the contest and snatching up 10 ground balls.

In the final quarter, the Beavers inched back into the contest with four late goals, but Bowdoin protected the lead through the final minutes, winning 16-11.

“That’s the way a lot of games tend to go,” said Daniel Buckman ’18. “Whenever you see them score it motivates the offense, but sometimes it can motivate you too much and you start pressing too much.”

The Polar Bears came out ahead on the stat sheet as well, winning ground balls 45-28 and faceoffs 17-13. An increase in possession led to an rise in scoring opportunities, and the Polar Bears outshot Babson 46-30.

The team is still trying to find its rhythm since 20 out of its 44 players are first years. However, the younger players have been contributing more and more, and are becoming well-integrated with the veteran players on the team.

“The first years are learning quickly” said Lee. “They are adapting to the college game really well, and they’re stepping up.”

Bowdoin improved to 2-9 (1-5 NESCAC) on the season with the win, and will host Connecticut College (2-10 overall, 0-7 NESCAC) tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Last Tuesday, Ben Brewster ’14—a former two-sport Polar Bear—signed a contract to play with the Tulsa Roughnecks of the United Soccer League (USL). While at Bowdoin, Brewster earned All-New England honors in both soccer and lacrosse. Brewster was one of only seven D-III athletes invited to display his skills to professional soccer teams at the Major League Soccer (MLS) combine last summer, earning him eligibility for the 2014 MLS draft.

A Maine native, Brewster won his first accolade early, as he was named NESCAC soccer Rookie of the Year as a first-year, and went on to lead Bowdoin’s defense as a starter throughout his four-year career. He was given the honor of First Team All-New England during his two final seasons at Bowdoin. 

His senior year, his play led Bowdoin to allow only 16 goals throughout the entire season. He was then named to the First Team All-American Team—the only NESCAC player that year to win the honor—to cap off his decorated D-III career.

After his final soccer season in Brunswick, Brewster turned his attention to lacrosse, temporarily halting his off-season soccer training. However, as soon as the lacrosse season ended in May, he jumped straight back onto the pitch to continue his soccer training. 

He joined the Seacoast United Phantoms, a New Hampshire Premier Development League (PDL) team. After being named captain of the Phantoms, he led the team to a Northeast Regular Season Championship with a record of 11-1-2. While he was playing for the Phantoms, Brewster was attending trials for the USL. After visits to Sacramento, Calif. and Wilmington, NC, he was offered a spot on the roster of the Tulsa Roughnecks. 

“I have always wanted to play soccer at a high level” said Brewster. “When I started playing soccer at Bowdoin I was more concerned with my career in college, and did not necessarily focus or think too far after that. Following my junior and especially senior season, I began thinking about the possibilities of continuing my soccer career after college.”

In addition to the excitement of competing at a professional level, Brewster will be competing with a newly reformed team. The Roughnecks are rejoining the USL after an absence of almost 30 years. 

“I am very excited to be a part of this new professional soccer franchise in Tulsa,” said Brewster. “Everyone seems extremely excited that professional soccer is coming back to town.” 

After a disappointing weekend with two NESCAC losses, men’s basketball hosted Middlebury (16-6 overall, 3-5 NESCAC) last Sunday. The Polar Bears (15-6 overall, 5-3 NESCAC) came out eager to get back on track after two straight NESCAC losses and fought their way to a commanding 88-70 win. 

Determined to bounce back from their drop in the standings, The Polar Bears leapt out to a 12-3 lead to start the game. 

From there, despite good efforts from the visiting Panthers, the Polar Bears never looked back and did not relinquish their lead for the remainder of the contest. 

Once again the scoring charge was led by Lucas Hausman ’16 and John Swords ’15, who scored 21 and 20 points respectively. Captain Bryan Hurley ’15 contributed 17 points, including an impressive 15 coming from behind the arc. 

Each time Middlebury inched back into the game, the Bowdoin shooters pushed the lead out of reach. The Panthers could not match the offensive efficiency of the Polar Bears. Bowdoin was able to shoot 52 percent from the field while holding Middlebury to only 39 percent. 

This statistic was achieved not only through outside shooting but also largely from Bowdoin’s dominance around the basket from big men Swords and Matt Palecki ’16. The Polar Bears outscored Middlebury 48-20 in the paint.

Turnovers also proved to be key in the game. Bowdoin converted 15 points off turnovers compared to only two from the Panthers. 

The team is still trying to find its rhythm after the season-ending concussion that Keegan Pieri ‘a’15 suffered two weeks ago knocked him out of the lineup. 

This gap has left a void in the roster that has forced other players to step up. The load has largely been placed on the shoulders of forward Palecki who rose to the challenge this weekend, dominating the glass both offensively and defensively, corralling eight rebounds and scoring 13 points. 

“It was huge for our confidence” said Palecki. “That was a must win game. The fact that we came out flying right off the bat and played well shows that even through all the injuries and mixing lineups that we are a good team.” 

The win brought Bowdoin’s current record to 5-3 in the NESCAC, which ties them for fourth in the standings with Tufts. Bowdoin’s two remaining league games are tonight against second place Bates (6-2 NESCAC, 17-4 overall) and tomorrow  at 2 p.m. against Tufts (5-3 NESCAC, 12-10 overall). 

The Polar Bears will seek revenge for their 71-51 loss at Bates earlier this season. However, this contest will be held at home, away from the notoriously disruptive Bates crowd, which could give the Polar Bears the edge necessary to come through with a win. 

Tufts has historically proven to be a tough opponent as the seniors on the team have yet to beat the Jumbos in a league game. 

“They always have our number” said Palecki. 

However, this trend will not prevent the Polar Bears from operating at a high level throughout the contest. Despite the past, both of this weekend’s games are must wins if the Polar Bears want to ensure a home playoff spot at the end of the season.

The men’s basketball team didn’t miss a beat Wednesday night, defeating UMaine-Presque Isle (9-8) 78-57 in Morrell Gym after winning five out of six games over Winter Break. Point guard Bryan Hurley ’15 paced the Polar Bears, scoring 17 points, with eight assists and three steals. The Polar Bears (12-4 overall, 3-1 NESCAC) are tied for first place in the NESCAC.

A week after they returned to campus on December 28, the team hosted the University of Southern Maine. John Swords ’15 led the team with a double-double, tallying 19 points and 12 rebounds in the team’s 76-61 win.

Two days after the win, the Polar Bears travelled to Bridgewater St., where Lucas Hausman ’16 stole the spotlight and put up an impressive 28 points to lead the team to a 84-78 overtime victory. Bowdoin was leading 68-59 going into the final minutes of play. Bridgewater St. made a late run to bring the game to 71-71, forcing the game into overtime. After the extra five minutes, Bowdoin held onto an six-point lead.

The day after the closely contested game against Bridgewater St., Bowdoin arrived at Connecticut College ready to play, beating the Camels 77-48. Hausman again led the team in scoring, this time with 22 points.

“The team is starting to come together more as a unit,” said Hausman. “If we put everything together, if we work hard, have chemistry and do what coach tells us to do, I feel like we honestly have the potential to beat anyone.”

With their win streak at five, the Polar Bears faced the Wesleyan Cardinals in Connecticut on Saturday, January 10. Bowdoin kept the score close in the first half, with the game tied at 31 at halftime. Despite Hausman scoring 26 points, Wesleyan overpowered them in the second half, winning 77-62.

The team took no time to hang their heads, as they immediately prepared to host reigning D-III runner-up Williams. The Ephs remain a NESCAC heavyweight this season, but the Bowdoin veterans were determined to fight for a win. This time it was captain Keegan Pieri ’15 who lead the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 67-60 victory.

The final game of the break was against Hamilton. Hausman continued his streak, scoring 28 in the team’s 89-74 win.

“I’ve seen it every year,” said Pieri ’15. “The second half of the season, especially coming off of Winter Break, the team seems to be clicking better, whether it’s the basketball itself, us starting to get in a rhythm from all the practices, or just being together all the time over Winter Break.”The team will play on Saturday afternoon at Colby, a team ties with Bowdoin for first place in the NESCAC and whodefeated the Polar Bears in December.

In a rematch of last year’s NESCAC quarterfinal, the No. 2 seed Polar Bears (12-3-0) beat the No. 7 Tufts Jumbos (7-7-2) 4-0 in a quarterfinal match on Saturday. Bowdoin defeated Tufts in the final game of the regular season, winning 3-1 thanks to a strong performance from goalkeeper Bridget McCarthy ’16. 

The Polar Bears looked to McCarthy early as Tufts opened the game with two quality chances, McCarthy turned away the first Tufts shot under five minutes into the game. Five minutes later, the Jumbos looked as if they were going to put themselves on the board first when a long ball from a defender breached the Bowdoin back line. The pass led to an open shot which knocked off the post 11 minutes into the game. 

Bowdoin soon regained control of the game. Just five minutes after the Tufts unsuccessful breakaway, the ball found its way to the foot of midfielder Abby Einwang ’15, who lofted a shot into the corner to give the Polar Bears the 1-0 lead. 

Both teams fought hard to find the net in the rest of the first half, but Einwang remained the only one to score before the halftime whistle blew. 

At the start of the second half the Polar Bears began to pull away. 60 minutes in, Jamie Hofstetter ’16 fed a ball through to Amanda Kinneston ’15, who slid a shot past the Tufts keeper to double the Polar Bears’ lead to 2-0. 

Bowdoin never looked back—finishing the game 4-0 off a penalty kick from Hofstetter and a final goal from Julia Bottone ’17 to shutout the Jumbos 4-0. 

The team’s effort on Saturday was fueled in part by its devastating loss to Tufts that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. They had the same quarterfinal matchup—but this time Bowdoin emerged as the winner. 

“We were given a second chance,” said Hofstetter. “Everyone was extremely focused. We really wanted to destroy them this time around.” 

The team had been mentally preparing for another shot at Tufts once they found out the final seeding for the NESCAC tournament. The loss last season was a common conversation in the locker room and was a great way to center the focus of the team for practices in preparation for the playoff game. 

Because of Saturday’s win, the team will travel to Williams this weekend to face No. 3 seed Connecticut College (14-2-0). Both teams finished the regular season with an 8-2 record in the conference, but Bowdoin won their matchup 3-1 on October 18. 

Bowdoin has yet to take home the NESCAC title despite appearances in the conference championship in 2007 and 2012. 

Last season Bowdoin recieved an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after a quarterfinal loss in the NESCAC tournament. Although its 12 wins may be enough to recieve another at-large bid, a win this weekend would all but secure the Polar Bears a shot at the National Championship trophy. 

Last week the women’s soccer team finished with back-to-back wins to secure a top-four finish in the NESCAC and thus host its conference quarterfinal playoff game tomorrow against Tufts at 1:30 p.m.  

On a trip to Waterville on Saturday to face Colby (7-7-1), the team earned a 3-0 shutout victory. 

The Polar Bears took off early in the game as Maggie Godley ’16 netted the match’s first goal 11:34 into the game off of a pass from Jamie Hofsetter ’16. From there Bowdoin never looked back—burying two more goals, including another from Godley, to clinch the 3-0 shutout. 

In their final regular season game on Tuesday, Bowdoin hosted the team that will be its playoff opponent, Tufts (7-6-2 overall, 2-6-1 NESCAC). The game was a rematch from last year’s NESCAC tournament, when the Jumbos beat Bowdoin 2-1. 

It was Godley again who spurred the initial attack for the Polar Bears, heading in a cross sent into the box by teammate Abby Einwag ’15 in the first few minutes of the contest. 

The Polar Bears struck again twenty minutes into the first half with a goal by Evan Fencik ’17.  Tufts was able to find the back of the net late in the first half. But, thanks to a strong performance by goalie Bridget McCarthy ’16, Bowdoin held off the Jumbo attack for the rest of the game and was even able to add a third goal, this time from Kiersten Turner ’16 to seal the 3-1 win. 

McCarthy has been a solid in the net all season—starting every game and enabling three shutouts. McCarthy credits her and the team’s current success on the reality check it faced midway through the season.

“We have been able to finish our season on such a high note in large part thanks to the wake up call we received the weekend of the Hamilton and Williams games,” she said. “I think those losses really showed us that we have to give a perfect effort in every game we play, regardless of the opponent.”

The team is now set to take a run at the NESCAC playoffs sitting as the second seed tied with Connecticut College at 8-2-0 in conference play. 

Although the team came up short last year, the Polar Bears are confident that they have a squad this season that can take them deep into the playoffs. 

“We have a really talented freshman class that has seamlessly woven itself into our line-up,” said captain Kaley Nelson ’15. “Our team camaraderie and chemistry is essential to our success.  We work hard for one another on the field and are best friends off the field—I think that is a huge component of our success.”

The Polar Bears take the field again tomorrow against Tufts at 1:30 p.m. The team hopes to continue its current streak of impressive play and earn back-to-back victories over the Jumbos.