This weekend will be one of opportunity and revenge for the men's hockey team. The Polar Bears will battle for the top position in the conference against Williams on Friday and then look for a measure of revenge against a Middlebury squad that denied it the NESCAC championship last season.
"Williams is trying to steal our No. 1 position in the standings, so we know that we will have to be on our game on Friday night," said senior captain Kyle Shearer-Hardy.
The team worked on its play this week during its home game against Assumption College Tuesday night.
Before the game, head coach Terry Meagher explained his players' focus.
"We will be working on our playing structure," he said. "We've been flat, and we play a non-traditional style, and we've become too linear and there isn't enough dynamic flow. Without getting too technical, the backs have to be more involved."
Tuesday's game certainly started off well on the offensive end for Bowdoin. An early penalty did not deter the effort of the squad, but led to a short-handed opportunity. However, it was not until late in the period that the Polar Bears broke the stalemate. On a power play, Daniel Weiniger '13, brought the puck into Assumption's zone, wove throught the defense and put it past the keeper for the first score of the game.
The team kept the pressure up, and a few minutes later, first year Colin Downey picked the pocket of the Assumption players leaving their own zone and dumped the puck off to Weiniger. Weiniger gave it right back to Downey, who was able to sneak it past the right side of the Assumption goalie.
The Polar Bears came out strong in the second period by taking advantage of another power play. First year Ollie Koo wristed one from the top of the red circle past the goalkeeper to score the first goal of his career and the period.
The Greyhounds tried to hang around with the Polar Bears and late in the period they managed to steal the puck in transition and score in a one-on-one situation with goalie Richard Nerland '12, who had 20 saves during the night.
Bowdoin responded quickly on another power play when Shearer-Hardy, sliding on his stomach to keep the puck in the zone, passed it to Weiniger who fired it over the goalies left shoulder into the top right corner of the net making it 4-1 to end the period.
"We just made sure to make every single shift better than the previous one," said Shearer-Hardy, "Keep the energy alive on the bench, and to take every shot opportunity that was given to us.
Bowdoin kept up the offensive pressure with first year Harry Matheson and Ben Tsujiura '12 netting goals. First year Nick Raffone finished the scoring with his first goal as a Polar Bear, one that he managed to put through a crowd and the Greyhound goalie.
The 7-1 victory was a response to the play of the past weekend against Tufts and Connecticut College on the road.
"In the conference it is certainly clear and more evident how important points are," said Meagher. "On a road trip that is difficult, you want to bring home both points, but it's nice to have the split."
The Polar Bears defeated Tufts with a flurry of goals 5-2 on Friday, but fell 2-1 to the Camels the following day.
"For as well as we played on Friday, we played even better on Saturday, but we couldn't find the back of the net," said Meagher. "We start the stretch run and to be in the hunt makes it exciting for everyone involved, not only the athletes, but the community that surrounds our program."
Following the weekend, Meagher remarked on the importance of the Assumption game before the approaching weekend.
"This game allows us to analyze our play from the weekend and get back on the horse," he said. "It's a chance to play and I don't [think] it could have come at a better time."
The 7-1 result was definitely the type of game that the Polar Bears needed to play in anticipation of this weekend.
"It's nice to get some of our goal scoring confidence back before a big weekend like the one we have ahead of us," said Shearer-Hardy. "Williams and Middlebury are both very talented teams."