The first week of the season was filled with ups and downs for the women's soccer team. After experiencing a tough loss versus conference rival Amherst, the Polar Bears rebounded from Saturday's loss with an exciting victory against Husson on Wednesday.
After trailing by one goal with 10 minutes left against Husson, the team responded with a pair of goals to seal the victory. First year Becky Stoneham scored her first goal as a Polar Bear with 10:10 left to play. The team continued its offensive pressure, which resulted in a goal by Casey Blossom '13 assisted by Celeste Swain '12 to clinch the win. The Bears were in control offensively for most of the game, holding an 18-7 shot advantage.
"We are all thrilled with the win, and we plan to keep the winning steak going," said junior captain Ellery Gould. We are going to carry this momentum into our game against Bates by bringing our composure and 'desire to win' attitude that we displayed in the Husson game."
The team opened the season at home last Saturday with a tough loss to Amherst.
The Polar Bears got off to a hot start after a run down the left side by Christina Aceto '10 resulted in a loose ball in front of the cage. Gould, the team's leading scorer last year, took control and shot it in the net in the 24th minute of play. But the Lord Jeffs, currently ranked No. 20 in the nation, responded in the second half with a pair of goals to clinch the win. The Bears held a 21-11 edge in shots for the game despite the loss. Senior captain Kat Flaherty recorded seven saves.
"It was a really frustrating way to start the season because we outplayed and outshot them, but just couldn't seem to find the back of the net," said senior captain Tiernan Cutler.
The outlook for the rest of the season is bright with seven returning starters from last year's NESCAC Quarterfinal game against Middlebury. The Bears look to improve on last season when they finished 8-7-0. Last year's young roster had a pair of impressive wins versus Brandeis and Tufts and finished the season with a heartbreaking overtime loss to nationally-ranked Middlebury.
"We have a lot of new talent on the team and the returners are looking stronger than ever. We are all really excited for the upcoming season and we can't wait to get back on the field to show the rest of the NESCAC that Bowdoin will be one of the top contenders this year," said Cutler.
The Polar Bears look to continue the momentum from their Wednesday victory as they take on conference rival Bates (1-0-1) on Saturday. Bates is coming off a stalemate versus Amherst last Sunday. Last year's contest resulted in a 4-0 victory for Bowdoin, and kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Lewiston.