The women's lacrosse team won two of the last three games it played this week to jump up to No. 4 in NESCAC standings. While the Polar Bears still have two league games to determine their postseason fate, the recent wins were key to increasing their playoff chances. Wednesday night in Waterville, Bowdoin proved particularly clutch, beating Colby (3-4 NESCAC) in double overtime 11-10.
Against the Mules, first year Katy Dissinger stepped up by scoring four goals under the lights, and was backed by strong offensive performances from junior Christina Denitzio and senior Ali Draudt.
Bowdoin came out strong in the first half and led by one goal going into the second. However, a Colby offensive run late in the game sent the match into overtime.
The Polar Bears, though, would not let down in the additional time as Dissinger scored half-way through the first overtime. Then, with under a second to play, sophomore Ashley Peterson scored when senior captain Bobbi Dennison dished her the ball.
In the second overtime, Colby was able to grab one goal before Bowdoin took control of the game and ran out the clock for the crucial NESCAC win.
"Beating Colby was a tremendous team effort," Denitzio said. "In overtime our defense was outstanding and our offense made excellent decisions. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that we were going to win. It was amazing to see the team come together and beat Colby on their own turf."
Over the weekend, the Polar Bears were able to pull out a 6-5 win against Wesleyan (2-4 NESCAC) on Sunday, but could not match a strong Tufts (3-3 NESCAC) offense on Saturday, when they fell 11-7.
Against Tufts, the Polar Bears held on for much of the game, but Bowdoin had shots that went just wide of the net and possession losses that gave the Jumbos the edge. During the game, Bowdoin committed 18 turnovers, many of which led to Tufts scoring opportunities.
Against the Cardinals, a defensive battle ensued for most of the game, and kept both teams' tallies low. The Polar Bears took advantage of Wesleyan's mistakes from the start as they jumped out for a 4-0 lead. However, Wesleyan then put up a defensive fight, and the game was tied 5-5 by the seven-minute mark in the second half.
The Polar Bears held a 6-5 lead when, with just a minute left, a Wesleyan player charged down the field to attempt to tie the game. However, sophomore Abbie Mitchell maintained her poise and forced a turnover that junior goalie Steph Collins-Finn grabbed. Mitchell caused a season high seven turnovers during the game, and her stellar defense at the end allowed Bowdoin to hold on for the win.
"Our defense was critical to beating Wesleyan on Sunday," Collins-Finn said. "We caused turnovers at key times during the game to shift the momentum in our favor."
This weekend, the Polar Bears will travel to Massachusetts to take on Amherst College (5-1 NESCAC). Amherst is currently ranked No. 2 in the league, so the game will be a battle for Bowdoin. However, the Polar Bears recent winning streak should give them confidence heading into Saturday.