The two-time, defending NESCAC champion Bowdoin Field Hockey Team was recently ranked third in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association pre-season Division III poll, with league opponents No. 7 Middlebury College and No. 12 Williams College also among the top teams.
The Polar Bears will open their season on the road this weekend with two non-league games against Wellesley College and Wheaton College. Bowdoin holds an NCAA-best record of 35-3 over the past two seasons, and will look to "three-peat" both its NESCAC championship win and trip to the NCAA Final Four this year.
The return of several starters should help Bowdoin with this goal, as tri-captain Val Young '08 and Lindsay McNamara '09, both First-Team All-NESCAC players, will anchor the defensive and offensive ends, respectively. McNamara led the team in scoring last year, and will be joined by a sharp offensive line, which includes tri-captain Hillary Hoffman '08. Second-Team All-NESCAC center midfielder Julia King '09 will also play a crucial role in the Polar Bear offense.
The Bowdoin defense will face the challenge of replacing their players from the Class of 2007, which included First-Team All-American goaltender Kate Leonard '07. "Although we lost a very strong senior squad, the capabilities and potential of the team this year is immense," senior tri-captain Meaghan Maguire '08 said. "It's exciting to know that we have a solid group of first-year players, and we will be able to compete in every game."
After the weekend, the Polar Bears will play their home opener against Husson College on Wednesday at 5 p.m. before meeting rival Colby at home in their first NESCAC match on Saturday, September 15.