On Monday night, the men's soccer team proved they are a team to be feared in the NESCAC. Playing through steady rain on a slick field at Colby College, the Polar Bears controlled the game from start to finish to earn a 4-0 victory. Coming off a tough 2-0 loss to Middlebury, the Polar Bears were in search of their first conference win. Bowdoin improved to 2-1-2 overall and 1-1-2 in the NESCAC.
Senior forward Tim Prior led the way in the 12th minute with a shot from 20 yards out that skipped under Colby goalkeeper John Gardner. Prior's tally was the first Bowdoin goal in its last two games and his first of the year.
Prior struck again with a header in the 29th minute off a corner kick from defender Sean Bishop '12, adding to the Polar Bear lead. It took just six more minutes for Bowdoin to gain a three-goal advantage, as Nick Powell '12 one-timed a low cross from Prior. The goal was Powell's first of the season, having led the team with seven goals last season.
"Tim had a great night," said Call Nichols '12. "He's been working so hard, playing the full 90-minutes on the outside of midfield on multiple occasions. He deserved those goals and it's what our team needed to go on and thump Colby."
Bowdoin's fourth and final goal came in the second half when senior captain Ben Denton-Schneider snuck a ball into the left side netting. Nichols headed a throw in from Daniel Chaffetz '11 that found Denton-Schneider at the six-yard box.
"All week we were working on taking advantage of our opportunities, for example taking a lot of shots," said Prior. "I think that this really helped break our scoreless streak in the NESCAC, and after the first one went in we were more comfortable in the offensive third [of the field]."
Nichols, in just his second game back from injury, proved why the Polar Bears missed their Second-Team All-NESCAC center back.
"I couldn't be happier to be back playing, especially at a time when we are starting to bring it all together and get results," said Nichols. "I'm excited to be able to contribute to this team during what I'm sure will be a positive year."
Coach Fran O'Leary was also very pleased with Nichols' return.
"Call is a terrific player and it is a great boost for our team to have him back on the field," he said. "He reads the game well and makes good decisions when in possession of the ball."
The Bowdoin defense was stellar once again. Colby shot only eight times during the match and goalkeeper Dan Hicks '11 had to make only two saves. The shutout of the Mules marks the fourth time this season that the Polar Bears have kept a clean sheet.
Last Saturday, the team traveled to Middlebury to take on the first-place, undefeated Panthers. In an evenly played match, Middlebury showed why they sit atop the NESCAC standings, taking advantage of their chances to garner a 2-0 victory. Bowdoin outshot the Panthers nine to five, but Middlebury goalkeeper Tim Cahill '12 made four saves.
Bowdoin had its fair share of chances. First year Takahiro Nakamura's shot from inside the 18-yard box was parried by Cahill and a shot by Nichols was cleared by Middlebury defender Rob Cole '13 just before the goal line. The Panthers capitalized with two headers that found the back of the net, one in each half.
Homecoming Weekend will provide another exciting NESCAC match up as the Polar Bears host Connecticut College on Saturday, one of three teams that beat them last year in the regular season. The Camels are 3-2-1 overall with a 1-1-1 in-conference record. Bowdoin will then host St. Joseph's (ME) on Sunday in non-conference play.
"We were positive and direct against Colby. Scoring goals and winning games are habit forming," said O'Leary. The team looks to ride the momentum from the win against the Mules to add to their NESCAC record. "We hope to translate our concentration and intensity from the Colby game into this weekend," said Prior. "If we can do this, it will put us in the best possible position to come out with back to back victories."