Courtesy of Brian Beard

This past weekend, the women’s ice hockey team (14–7–0; 8–6–0 NESCAC) made a successful comeback against the Connecticut College Camels (10–11–1; 6–9–1 NESCAC), securing a 2–1 win on Saturday to put an end to a five-game losing streak.

The Polar Bears played a two-game series against the Camels, taking a 5–2 loss on Friday. However, after two periods with no points on the board, the team was able to put up two goals in the final minutes of the game. Forward Anyi Sun ’26 believes the team’s energy during the third period of Friday’s game led the way to Saturday’s win.

“We really picked up some momentum in that last period, and it definitely contributed to Saturday’s game,” Sun said.

To build on the positivity that the team was able to generate at the end of Friday’s game, team members from each year gave lighthearted locker room pep talks and shared other inspirational messages before taking the ice on Saturday, according to forward Kiley Briand ’25.

“We had a lot of time in the morning to come together, set our intentions and definitely be more mindful about setting the tone rather than reacting to [our opponent],” Briand said.

Goaltender Sally Solotaroff-Webber ’25 reflected on the confident mindset the Polar Bears brought on Saturday.

“On Saturday, it was more [about] focusing on the process and allowing ourselves to make mistakes,” Solotaroff-Webber said. “We’re not going to be perfect, and acknowledging that prior to the game relieves a lot of the pressure.… If you just focus on playing the best you can and letting the chips fall where they may, it allows you to have fun and actually play your game and play your best.”

The Polar Bears had a strong start to their game, with defender Jane McCarter ’25 putting Bowdoin on the board halfway through the first period. McCarter took the puck through the left circle and into the high slot for a goal. The Polar Bears kept the one-point lead throughout the remainder of the first and the entire second period.

Although the Camels maintained a slight 18–17 faceoff edge in the game, the Polar Bears focused on going into puck battles with more urgency.

“I think a game like [this is] won or lost with little moments.… If your mind is sharp, if you’re winning those puck battles, if you’re trying hard and being gritty, that could be the big difference,” Sun said.

The Camels tied the game up in the third period, putting pressure on Bowdoin to score, but the Polar Bears remained composed in their play.

“I think the key moment of the game was when [Connecticut College] tied it up,” Solotaroff-Webber said. “Previously, in the past five games, we would have gone into panic mode … [but] the belief was maintained and we believed that we were going to score.”

With under five minutes left in the game, forward Gia Massari ’25 popped the puck past the Camel’s goalie into the net from the low side of the right circle, pulling a 2–1 lead for Bowdoin.

“[Massari] has always been one of our best players.… She’s always like the calm in the storm for us, and she’s always having that good, positive energy that keeps us going,” Briand said. “The fact that she scored the game-winning goal made us all really happy and was symbolic of the energy in the way that we shifted, and we stayed calm, and we got the job done.”

After Massari’s goal, Connecticut College took two timeouts and pulled its goaltender, but the Polar Bears were still able to hold their own and put an end to their losing streak with a strong victory.

Looking forward, the Polar Bears will host Williams College (12–9–1; 5–8–1 NESCAC) at Watson Arena for the last series of the regular season this weekend. Additionally, tomorrow is the team’s senior night, and depending on the outcome, could be the last time the Class of 2025 plays on home ice.

“We’re going to really focus on being present and building on the energy that we started with Saturday,” Briand said. “[We are] building on the energy and everything we’ve built over this whole year, so [we are] trying to put a cherry on top so that we can end on a really high point going into playoffs.”