As a Trinity player was tackled in Bowdoin's penalty box last Saturday, each Bowdoin player had the same initial moment of panic, waiting to hear if the whistle was going to be blown. It was.
The women's soccer team suffered a narrow defeat to Trinity last weekend, losing 1-0 to the Bantams with the only goal coming from a penalty kick early in the second half.
On a soggy field, Trinity outplayed Bowdoin in the first half, controlling the flow of play while tallying an impressive 14 shots to Bowdoin's six. Neither team, however, was able to score going into the break.
In the second half the Bears came out strong, rebounding from their first half performance.
But just as the momentum began to shift, an unfortunate foul against the Polar Bears in the box ultimately led to the deciding goal in the match. Until that point the referee had been calling the game passively, allowing both teams to play.
But when Trinity forward Jenney Ley was tripped as she entered the Bowdoin box, the referee did not hesitate to blow his whistle.
Lauren Olsen of Trinity stepped up confidently to take the kick as junior goalie Kat Flaherty waited in the goal.
Flaherty dove to her left, reading her opponent well and diving in the correct direction. But the well-placed shot sailed just past the fingertips of the diving keeper and into the net. The 1-0 score would soon become final.
With the loss, Bowdoin falls to 3-5 in conference play.
"They're a good team," said junior captain Christina Aceto. "But if we played them again, there is no doubt in my mind that we would beat them."
The setback has dropped Bowdoin to No. 6 in the NESCAC standings going into its final regular season game, which is at home against Tufts.
On the bright side, even though a hip injury has sidelined Aceto for the entire season, the forward has been cleared to play in the game and will dress for today's contest.
"It's the first time all year that we're completely healthy," said Aceto about her team. "With the playoffs coming up, the timing seems to be just right."
But unfortunately for the Bears, they no longer have a chance of getting home-field advantage for the playoffs.
Win or lose, Bowdoin will face either Williams, Amherst or Middlebury, depending on how today's games finish. Bowdoin has lost to all three of these teams this season, but has played each team competitively.
Come Sunday, the past will be forgotten as Bowdoin attempts to advance to the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament for the third consecutive year.
Tufts, 4-3-1 in the NESCAC and 7-5-1 overall this year, beat Bowdoin 2-1 in last year's regular season contest. The Bears avenged that loss later in the season when they knocked out Tufts in the first round of last year's playoffs in penalty kicks.
Bowdoin looks to continue that success this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Pickard Field.