After a string of tough losses this month, the women's lacrosse team returned to its winning ways at home on Saturday with a 10-7 victory over Williams.
After surrendering an early goal to the Ephs' Tracey Ferriter, Bowdoin responded with two goals of its own from Lindsay McNamara '09 and tri-captain Libby Barton '09 to take the 2-1 lead.
A Williams goal briefly tied the score before the Polar Bears took control of the game with a four-goal run keyed by sophomore Ingrid Oelschlager's two goals.
Williams fought back in the final five minutes of the first half with a three-goal run of its own to get within a single score at halftime.
That would be as close as the Ephs would get.
Bowdoin opened the second half with a dominating four-goal run to extend its lead to 10-5.
Williams attempted to get back in the game with a pair of late goals but the Polar Bears' strong passing and athleticism allowed them to maintain possession for most of the game's final 10 minutes.
"It was a great win and it came at a really good time," said Emily French '12. "It was a great team win, it gave us a lot of confidence.
Senior tri-captain Steph Collins-Finn (eight saves) keyed a strong defensive effort that held Williams to its lowest goal tally of the year. With the win, Collins-Finn tied the school record for wins (39) as well as the record for saves.
McKenna Teague '12, McNamara, and Oelschlager scored two goals apiece while Becca Austin '10 keyed the defensive effort with five groundballs and three draw controls in the match.
With the win, the Polar Bears improve to 7-6 on the season (2-5 NESCAC) as they look to build momentum heading into the final two games of the regular season.
Bowdoin will welcome Bates to Howard F. Ryan Field next Tuesday in a match up of NESCAC foes.
"I think we've had a really good week of practice, which has helped us prepare for them," French said. "We know they are a very aggressive and high-pressure team, so we've been preparing for that. It's definitely within our reach to beat them."