After an upsetting Homecoming loss, 2-0 to Trinity, the Bowdoin Women's Soccer Team fought to return to a winning track, topping Husson on Sunday but falling to Brandeis on Thursday.
The Polar Bears traveled down to Brandeis for a late non-conference game on Thursday. Action would not take long to develop as the Judges scored within the first two minutes of the game.
"After that [goal] we came out hurried and frantic, we had no time to get it back," Christina Aceto '11 said. "When we finally settled down we weren't possessing and our first touches were off all night."
Despite outshooting the Judges, the Polar Bears couldn't find the net.
"It was a tough night finishing," Aceto said.
When all was said and done, the scoreboard read 3-0 in favor of Brandeis, and the Bears were sent home in despair.
At Sunday's game against Husson, the Bowdoin women proved that sometimes you do get what you need.
Rebecca Levin '12 described the spirit as the Polar Bears took to the road.
"We knew we needed a win," she said.
The women were able to come through, defeating the Braves 1-0.
From the start Bowdoin controlled the pace of play, doubling Husson's number of recorded shots (10-5) in the first half.
Although the Polar Bears seemed in control, they were unable to score. The second half proved to be more evenly matched though, as each team struggled to record a goal.
Finally, it was Ellery Gould '12 who managed to find the back of the net. After carrying the ball into the box Gould shook a defender and delivered a volley to the far side of the net, giving the Bears what would prove to be the winning goal.
Keeper Kelly Thomas '09 had her fifth shout-out of the season, saving five shots.
The first part of the Polar Bear's double-header weekend was less successful as the Polar Bears fell 0-2 to Trinity.
"It was tough because we had been playing well in practice," Levin said.
Initially, both teams battled evenly with little reward. Few shots were made by either team, though at the end of the first half, the Polar Bears had a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal over the Bantams. Much of the second half was the same fight, preserving the deadlock. Not until the final 20 minutes was a goal scored as Trinity capitalized off a low shot from the left that crossed the goal mouth and tucked just inside the right post. Bowdoin battled unsuccessfully to respond with a goal of their own.
"Our passes were not connecting," Levin said. The Bantams finalized their win with another goal, crafted from a counter-attack that resulted in the ball flying from the top of the box into the left corner of the Bowdoin goal.
Despite the disappointment, the Bowdoin women look toward the future.
"Everyone is putting in an enormous amount of effort, and the drive to succeed just gets stronger every game," Anna Tachau '12 said. "The great part about the middle of the season has been that everyone knows each other pretty well."
The Bears hope this chemistry and renewed focus will enable them to defeat upcoming opponents, notably local rival Colby on October 25 and NESCAC opponent Tufts in a final home game on October 31.