Courtesy of Brian Beard

The women’s soccer team (3–1–0; 1–0–0 NESCAC) beat the Connecticut College Camels (3–2–0; 0–2–0 NESCAC) 2–0, netting their first NESCAC win of the season. After a tight first half, Sienna Masood ’28 and Kayley Huleatt ’28 scored two goals for the Polar Bears within 90 seconds.

The Polar Bears had a full week of practice to prepare to face the Camels.

“I think it was one of our best weeks of practice yet,” Masood said. “We each put 110 percent into every drill; our coaches could see that, and it translated to the game.”

Knowing the Camels’ strengths and weaknesses, the team played in a unique formation that set them up to win.

“We came out … in a 4–3–3, which is more of a pressure formation, because we knew they didn’t have the strongest back line and they wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure,” Huleatt said.

The Polar Bears also fine-tuned another key aspect of play: aggressiveness.

“[Conn], like most other NESCAC teams, plays really physical,” Mary Rainey ’27 said. “We made sure to win those physical battles on Saturday.”

After 45 minutes of play, both teams were scoreless.

“[It] was more of a defensive battle, and our back line played so well,” Rainey said. “That gave us the ability to take chances in the final third.”

Despite the scoreboard, Bowdoin held possession of the ball and continued to open up opportunities to score throughout the first half. At halftime, the team regrouped and came out even stronger than before.

“In the first half, we were playing like we knew we were the better team and we had better possession, but we’ve had games in the past where we know that, and then we still have a lapse in judgment, and it leads to us losing the game,” Rainey said. “[This time], we did the opposite. We were at halftime and we recognized, ‘Yes, this is our game, but if we’re not focused and we’re not still attacking everything that we could tie or lose the game.’”

The first goal came at the 75 minute mark, scored by Masood off a cross from Huleatt.

“[Huleatt] passed the ball into the box, I saw it coming toward me, and I ran onto it, took a touch and placed it in the far corner,” Masood said.

Huleatt noted the goal was the culmination of many drills and practices.

“We’ve been working on a specific kind of cross from certain areas to other areas of the field that have the highest percent chance of scoring,” Huleatt said. “We did score on that one, which was really great to see.”

Less than a minute later, Rainey hit a precise header that Huleatt connected with to notch her third goal of the season.

“I assisted [Huleatt’s] goal, which was absolutely beautiful,” Rainey said. “I headed it backward hoping someone would get on the end of it and then [Huleatt] hit an amazing volley.”

Huleatt said the win gives the team a boost of confidence and renewed focus for the rest of the season.

“I think this is a really great turning point for us as a team, and it’s great that we’re getting off this good momentum at the beginning of the season,” Huleatt said. “We really are looking to build it up from here.”

Rainey emphasized the importance of a conference win this early in the season.

“This is just a really great first NESCAC win. This shows that we’re capable of not only winning but dominating in possession and matching up physically to other NESCAC teams,” Rainey said.

Huleatt credits the team’s success to the players’ energy.

“We’re all very close, and whenever something doesn’t go our way, we really try to work it out,” Huleatt said. “I also think that it’s our passion to get better every single day we go out to practice, and that really translates into our play in the games.”

Masood also honed in on the trust the players have for each other and how involved they are in each other’s successes.

“We all know when to acknowledge our mistakes, and we’re all very good at owning up to them. We feel like we’re very equal and that we can just tell anyone how to improve,” Masood said. “We know that we’re trying to make each other do the best they can.”

The Polar Bears next play Husson University (3–2) on September 24 and will travel to face NESCAC opponents Hamilton College (2–2–1; 0–2–1 NESCAC) and Williams College (3–1–0; 2–1–0 NESCAC) on September 27 and 28, respectively.