Riding a five-game win streak, the men's soccer team moved up in the national polls to No. 22 and No. 3 in the New England region. After a slow start to the season, the Polar Bears (6-1-2, 3-1-2) have found their stride, jumping to the No. 3 spot in the NESCAC rankings.
"I don't remember the last time we were ranked in the nation," said senior defenseman Danny Chaffetz. "It feels good but we're not happy with just being ranked. Beating Williams, that's the only thing we care about right now."
The Polar Bears' most recent victory came on Monday night as the team traveled to Babson for a regionally ranked non-conference game. The Beavers were ranked No. 4 in New England heading into the match.
In the 28th minute of play, Babson's leading scorer, Josh Danesh, slipped the game's first goal past goalkeeper Dan Hicks '11. The Polar Bears answered in the 36th minute as junior Call Nichols scored a penalty kick.
The Polar Bears roared again four minutes later to keep their winning streak alive. Chaffetz, with one of his powerful throw-ins from the sideline, found Sean Bishop '12 who chipped a pass on to senior captain Ben Denton-Schneider for a header goal.
The Bowdoin defense held strong during the 2-1 win as Babson blasted 10 shots during the second half. Hicks made four of his six saves during the second half to preserve the lead. "When our opponents penetrate our front six, our defenders and keeper have done a great job defending our penalty area," said Coach Fran O'Leary.
It has become evident during the five-game winning streak the Polar Bears are putting pressure on their opponents with every opportunity. Chaffetz, who takes the majority of throw-ins near the 18-yard box, has transformed the play into an assist machine, finding his teammates near the goal to create scoring chances.
Over the course of the streak, Bowdoin has outscored its opponents 15-2.
On Saturday, Bowdoin hosted the Wesleyan Cardinals for an inter-conference battle. The Cardinals came into the game at the bottom of the NESCAC standings, in search of their second conference win.
It didn't take long for Bowdoin to find the back of the net. In just the fifth minute of play, senior Tim Prior found junior Nick Powell with a pass and the latter ripped a shot into the lower-left corner of the net for his second goal of the season.
The score stood at 1-0 for the remainder of the game, as the Bowdoin defense held the Cardinals to just seven shots. Hicks made three saves in net for his sixth shutout of the season.
On October 2, the Polar Bears defeated Connecticut College at Homecoming after being down 1-0.
Thanks to header goals from Bishop in the 47th minute and Denton-Schneider with seven minutes left to play, the Polar Bears took the 2-1 victory.
Prior continued his impressive play, tallying an assist on both of the goals.
The next day, Bowdoin hosted St. Joseph's (ME) for their easiest win of the season. Six different players scored for the Polar Bears in a 6-0 rout of the Monks.
"I'm proud of the team right now. We were losing to both Conn. College and [Babson] but still came out with victories," said Chaffetz. "That's the kind of team you want to be on."
Following Bowdoin's first three wins of their current streak, Prior was named NESCAC Player of the Week.
Prior finished the three games with three goals and four assists, totaling a ten-point week. He currently sits atop the Bowdoin statistics in assists and points, and is one goal shy of the lead.
Tomorrow, the Polar Bears will travel to Williams (7-0-2, 4-0-2) to take on the undefeated Ephs.
"It promises to be a great contest between two good teams with the best team on the day likely to prevail," said O'Leary. "It is a big game and I am confident that we possess players with the appetite for intense encounters." Williams leads the NESCAC standings and will give the Polar Bears their biggest test of the season.
"From a first year's perspective, there is definitely a sense that we can win this weekend and can go on taking one game at a time until we reach our goals," said Joe Russo '14.
Bowdoin will then travel to the University of Southern Maine (3-8-2, 2-2) on Tuesday.