The women's soccer team lost to Bates 1-0 in the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday.
The Bears were defeated nine minutes into overtime. Bates's Jesse Gargiulo set Kim Alexander up for a shot. The Bobcat forward fired the ball past Bowdoin goalie Anna Shapell '06 into the far post of the net, winning the game and shutting Bowdoin out of the NESCAC tournament in the semifinal round.
Although the women's soccer team has advanced to the NESCAC semifinals every year since its establishment, the Polar Bears have never captured the championship.
The Bobcats played an aggressive game, keeping up with Bowdoin in every aspect. Bates had 12 shots on goal, while Bowdoin had seven. The Polar Bears created good scoring opportunities, but were unable to follow through with shots on goal.
Bates was in top form, forcing goalie Shapell to make a difficult save in the second half.
Bates had already defeated the Polar Bears in the regular season 1-0, so Bowdoin was prepared for a difficult match.
Bates defeated Tufts for the NESCAC title on Saturday. The Bobcats will advance to the NCAA tournament this weekend.
The Bowdoin team is proud of its achievements.
"Our team really came together at the end of the season. We made it into the semis and that is definitely something to be proud of," senior Merrie Railsback said. "I'm so sad to graduate and leave the team behind, but they will only be losing five seniors and have a solid group of younger girls."
Bowdoin's five graduating seniors include Railsback, Shapell, Kerri Brennan, Kelsey Wilcox, and Danielle Chagnon. The season overall has been a positive one, with an impressive win over powerhouse Middlebury in the first round of NESCACs, and victories over NESCAC competitors Amherst, Williams, and Colby.
Railsback concluded, "Women's soccer has a lot of potential for next year, and I'm excited to see what they can accomplish."