Last Saturday, Middlebury dealt the field hockey team its first loss this season in a brutal 3-2 defeat. The loss knocked Bowdoin to the No. 2 spot nationally, falling behind Messiah College but staying ahead of Middlebury at No. 3.
The Polar Bears controlled most of the game, leading the Panthers in shots on goal 13-7 as well as penalty corners 7-4. However, an inability to take advantage of scoring opportunities as well as some defensive mistakes helped Middlebury take a lead that Bowdoin could not overcome.
“We didn’t convert on our chances and had a couple of defensive breakdowns that [Middlebury] took advantage of,” said Head Coach Nicky Pearson. “That’s what happens when you play a good team. If you don’t take your opportunities and then have some defensive breakdowns, they’re going to make you pay for that, and they did.”
This isn’t the first time Middlebury has ruined the Polar Bears’ attempt at a perfect season; the Panthers beat Bowdoin in the NCAA Championship Final in 2011 and 2015, putting an end to the Polar Bears’ extensive win streaks both seasons. However, this matchup is the first time the team has lost to Middlebury in the regular season since 2012.
The two programs are consistently at the top of the NESCAC and national rankings, which led to three regular and postseason showdowns last year. This year’s close-fought matchup sets the stage for a very competitive postseason should the two teams face off again, but the Polar Bears are confident in their prospects should that happen.
“In Saturday’s game we actually controlled more of the game than we had in those two [postseason] games last year and limited their opportunities,” said Pearson. “That’s probably what was frustrating for us, but we learned and took many things from the game.”
While Middlebury’s talent highlighted some necessary areas of improvement for Bowdoin, the game also showcased the young team’s strengths and progress so far.
“As a team, one of our goals is to practice the way that we’re going to play and to implement a lot of our drills into our games, and that was our second goal against Middlebury,” said captain Emily McColgan ’17. “We take the positives and negatives from that game and that was a huge positive. Something that we worked on in practice was directly translated into our game play.”
The team’s determination and drive haven’t wavered as it looks ahead to the rest of its season.
“Every time we go into a game, our goal is to win,” said McColgan. “So coming out from a loss, we didn’t reach our goal for one game, but we still have the potential to reach our goal for the rest of our season, keep on our path and try to win every other game that we play in.”
The team bounced back on Wednesday when it faced Wellesley at home, defeating the Blue 4-0. With a strong focus on offensive opportunities, the Polar Bears dominated the game with a 21-1 edge in shots on goal and a 14-1 advantage in penalty corners. The teams last faced each other in the 2015 NCAA Regional Final where a 3-0 shutout sent the Polar Bears to the Final Four.
Even after facing two top-20 teams in the same week, the team hasn’t let rankings or predictions alter its approach.
“Our preparation is consistent,” said Pearson. “We don’t want to be a yo-yo team where we feel like we have to raise our game for this because it’s a more important game than this one or this is a non-conference game so it’s not as important as a NESCAC game—that’s a dangerous game to play and we really stay away from that.”
The Polar Bears will continue their campaign with three home games next week, starting off with a matchup against the University of Southern Maine at 6 p.m. on Monday.