The Bowdoin College Field Hockey Team proved it can adapt as well as battle extreme heat, dominating a midweek home opener to start the season with a record of 3-0.
Bowdoin's first two wins came last weekend against Wellesley and Wheaton. This third win came against Husson College on Wednesday night and extended its home field winning streak to 23 consecutive games dating back to October 2004.
The Polar Bears scored 16 goals against their three opponents, seven of which came against Husson without conceding a single goal.
Bowdoin started the game with enthusiasm as junior Lindsay McNamara scored the first goal before even two minutes of play had been completed. Junior Julia King then added two of her own, one off a penalty corner and the other off a shot fired past the Husson goalkeeper.
McNamara then followed up with a deflection that put Bowdoin ahead by four.
First year Ingrid Oelschlager put a goal away before the first half ended, and would find the back of the net twice more for a hat trick.
At Wellesley, Bowdoin relied on its depth to battle the 100-degree temperatures and put together a strong team effort.
"Wellesley played hard throughout the game," Kate Gormley '09 said, "but after a scoreless beginning, we were able to wear them down and put on the offensive pressure we needed to score."
Key offense came from Kristen Veiga '09, who put away a cross ball from Gormley for the lead, and later placed a shot past the Wellesley keeper for Bowdoin's third goal. Oelschlager drilled in a goal off of a feed from Shavonne Lord '10 before the end of the first half to go ahead 2-0. In the second half, Veiga's goal and a tally by McNamara gave the Polar Bears a 4-0 win.
On Sunday the team traveled to Wheaton College and beat the Lyons 5-0 on their grass field. It did not take long for the Polar Bears to take the lead, as King timed a pass to McNamara, who put the ball past a diving Wheaton goalkeeper just a minute and a half into the game.
Lord and King notched the next two goals, and Oelschlager added another goal for Bowdoin before the half.
"We had to mentally and physically prepare for the shift from turf to grass and the change in the pace of the game," noted tri-captain Val Young '08. McNamara scored in the second half for the final goal, while the defense held strong against Wheaton's second-half pressure.
"We had a great start to the season with three wins, and we were able to make adjustments and tweak our game," said tri-captain Hillary Hoffman '08. "Now, we are focusing in on our NESCAC schedule and the competition we will face in the coming weeks."
Bowdoin will play Colby in its first league game on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Ryan Field, and will travel to Bates next Wednesday.