The women's rugby team ended its season 7-2 after it defeated Wellesley 20-12, winning the second-tier playoffs last Saturday.
Bowdoin set the tone in the first 20 minutes. After grinding it out for a brief while, Becky Stevens '11 kicked the ball deep from a ruck to give Kerry Townsend '13 enough time to get the ball and run it home to the Wellesley try zone, setting the Polar Bears at 5-0.
Shortly thereafter a scrum deep in Wellesley territory yielded a quick pass from Dani McAvoy '13 to Uche Esonu '13, who powered again into the Wellesley try zone to score.
"True to our goals for the game, everyone played with intensity and mental strength," said senior co-captain Hannah Larson.
"That was the difference between us and Wellesley," said fellow co-captain Erica Camarena '10, "We played hard, with heart."
But Wellesley was no pushover. Incensed by the two quick scores, the Blue managed to score by breaking through the Bowdoin line and running long for a try. Fortunately for Bowdoin, Wellesley was prevented from tying the game by good defense from Katie Mathews '12, who chased a Wellesley runner down the field to stop her short of a second score.
Bowdoin rebounded to shut Wellesley out in the second half.
"Our play faltered towards the end of the first half," said Larson, "but we picked it back up in the second half and began to win rucks and get the ball back down the field."
Camarena scored another try taking the ball off the ruck and Townsend received a wide-out pass to clear the way for her second score of the day, ending the scoring at 20-12 in favor of the Polar Bears.
The Polar Bears see success in their 7-2 season.
"Even though we had a few disappointing losses earlier in the season, we were able to end on a very positive note, winning our last four games to become the plate division champions," said Larson.
"That was a really great way to end the season," said Camarena, "with that much passion. A lot of us were fighting through injuries, and we had good teamwork."
That kind of dedication and teamwork has been the staple of this Bowdoin team, which has had to consistently rely on its skill and precision to overcome larger and faster opponents throughout the season.
"I think we can only build on things," said Camarena.
The girls will take a break from rugby until the spring, when they will have another season, including a Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C.
"We're still a young team, but we improved tremendously over the course of this season, which should set a good foundation for the spring and for our next fall season," said Larson.
"Bowdoin should know that these girls have a lot of heart," said Camarena, "they are willing to play through a lot. These girls really love each other and we have created a great connection between players this season."