The Bowdoin Field Hockey Team was handed its first loss in 13 games at the NCAA Final Four in Geneva, New York, two weeks ago. The loss ended the Polar Bears' season with a record of 17-2.
Early on, Bowdoin dominated offensively against Messiah College (18-4), but the Bears could not seem to find the back of the goal.
"The final four was an excellent experience; we showed we could play with any team," sophomore Kristen Veiga said. "We played our game against Messiah, but the ball just wouldn't bounce our way. We will be back next year though, hopefully with better bounces."
Before the half, the Messiah goalie turned away a number of Bowdoin shots, while senior goalkeeper Kate Leonard made a diving save to preserve the 0-0 score. Just a few minutes into the second half, though, Messiah managed to score the games only tally with a cross ball that was slapped into the Polar Bear goal. Following the Falcons' goal, Bowdoin was relentless on offense, out-shooting Messiah 10-1. A scoring opportunity came when a Messiah defender stopped a rocket by sophomore Julia King from going into the goal with her foot. Bowdoin was awarded a penalty stroke, but sophomore Lindsay McNamara missed wide left.
The Falcons, who beat Bowdoin last year in semifinal play, advanced to the Division III Championships with the win, but lost to Ursinus College 3-2.
Despite falling to Messiah, junior Val Young felt the Polar Bears "played a great game and dominated every aspect of the game but scoring. Unfortunately we just couldn't catch a break. Every player gave it their all, and as a team we have nothing to regret about the final game or the season as a whole."
Along with the team's accomplishments, the evidence of a great season can be seen in the three Bowdoin players named to the 2006 NFHCA All-American Team. Leonard was named to the first team once again with help from her minuscule .64 goals-against average this season. With the sixth-best career average in NCAA Division III history, Leonard closes out a very successful campaign in goal for the Polar Bears. Young and McNamara also earned All-American spots on the third team for their defensive and offensive efforts, respectively.
Reflecting on the entire season, junior Meaghan Maguire said, "I would say that the hardest thing to handle now is the fact that it's all over. It's really hard to put into words what happened this season. It was incredible. I could not be more proud of this team and what we were able to achieve together."
"We had challenges very few teams ever experience, and we were able to overcome and embrace them together," she added. "Of course it's normal to feel a sense of disappointment, especially after believing so hard that we were capable of winning it all. More importantly, though, is keeping in perspective the unbelievable accomplishment of earning our place in the NCAA Final Four for the second year in a row. For that, for winning NESCACs, for improving our play with each and every game, for staying committed and dedicated to one another, we are all so incredibly proud."