After two tough one-goal losses, the Bowdoin Men's Lacrosse Team will have to re-focus for a string of road NESCAC contests.
On Wednesday, the 12th-ranked Polar Bears (7-3) fell 10-9 to the No. 17 Endicott Gulls. Endicott led throughout the game, by as many as five goals in the fourth quarter, and stymied a furious Bowdoin final quarter rally just one goal short.
"With about four minutes to play in the game, we were down by four goals," said senior quad-captain Rob Halliday. "It was doable, and we got close, but we didn't quite get it. We didn't really show up until the second half."
After Endicott scored to make it 10-5 with under seven minutes to play, senior quad-captain Cullen Winkler led Bowdoin's fourth-quarter rally. Bowdoin scored four times in less than four minutes to pull within one. Winkler scored twice in the rally, including one goal with 58 seconds to play.
"The team that makes the fewer number of mistakes is the team that's going to win," said Halliday. On Wednesday the team "just didn't put it all together," he added. "We had a nice rush at the end but there wasn't enough time."
Sophomore goalie Jake McCampbell made 10 saves in the loss, while Winkler led the Polar Bears with three goals and an assist.
On Saturday, the Bears fell to the fourth-ranked Middlebury Panthers, 14-13. Bowdoin was down by as many as seven goals and stormed back to take the lead with just over nine minutes remaining, only to see it slip away in the final minute. Even though the team could not secure the win, Halliday felt that the second-half comeback showed spirit.
"We needed to turn up the intensity a little bit in the second half against Middlebury," Halliday said. "And then we had it, we just couldn't sustain it."
The Polar Bears are at a crucial juncture in their schedule. With just four games remaining in the regular season, all within the conference, they will have to buckle down to prepare for the playoffs. Currently third in league standings, the team's three upcoming conference road games against Williams, Colby, and Bates will be crucial. Bowdoin will end the regular season in a key home match-up against current second-seed Tufts.
Tomorrow Bowdoin will travel to Williamstown to take on the Ephs (4-5, 3-3).
"They have been playing well lately," Halliday said. "They have a good goalie and some good midfielders. We'll have to go back to basics and hopefully come out with a win. We've only got four games left in the regular season; it's time to push it."