Courtesy of Brian Beard

The women’s soccer team (4–2–2; 2–1–1 NESCAC) achieved a comeback 2–1 win against Middlebury College (4–2–2; 1–2–1 NESCAC) on Saturday. The Polar Bears scored in the 86th minute, winning back-to-back contests against the Panthers.

The Panthers led the game in the first half, but forward Mia Williams ’27 tied the game in minute 72 with a shot into the lower corner.

“It didn’t really feel real. I couldn’t believe it went in. But then from there, our energy went up and we were like, ‘We have a chance,’” Williams said. “And then it was just like, ‘Okay, let’s finish this. Let’s win it.’”

In the second half of the game, the Polar Bears increased their offensive attacks. Forward Samaya Bernardo ’24 netted the team’s second goal into the bottom right. Goalkeeper Charlotte Iannone ’26 also saved a goal in the final two minutes, ensuring the Polar Bears’ victory.

“[Iannone] has been playing [amazingly] this season and had a bunch of good saves. Without her, we would not have had only one goal scored against us,” captain and midfielder Greta Farkas ’24 said. “We also had a first year, [Williams], who made a goal and an assist [in that] game. I’m really happy for her, and she played really well for her first time playing [Middlebury].”

While the Panthers held a 7–5 advantage in shots on goal, the Polar Bears owned the 4–1 edge in corner kicks.

“I think the team had a lot of heart. After we went down, no one dropped energy. Everyone wanted to score and get back into it,” Farkas said. “And then we eventually got the goal, and after that goal, we weren’t settled with the tie, and everyone just kept pushing.”

Last year, Bowdoin ended a four-game losing streak against Middlebury.

“It was a really exciting win for us. We always want to beat Middlebury,” Farkas said. “They’re  very athletic and a powerhouse school for women’s sports as well. It was a hard-fought team effort, so I think everyone is really happy about our performance.”

The team is proud of its perseverance throughout the game and credits its success to good teamwork on the field.

“We really excelled at keeping the communication strong the whole game,” forward Rylie McLaren ’26 said. “I don’t think we ever got our heads down, and we went down a goal, and everyone was just really encouraging throughout the game. We made sure that we didn’t stop playing until the final whistle.”

While Bowdoin suffered a 2–0 loss to Williams College (6–0–1; 3–0–1 NESCAC) this past Sunday, the team is excited for their upcoming game against Babson College (4–2–1) tomorrow at Pickard Field.

“We’re all really excited for a home game. We have had some players out this week due to sickness and injury, so it will be good to have everyone back as a team,” McLaren said. “We’re hungry for another win.”