There is really only one team at Bowdoin whose soundtrack could feature "We Are the Champions": the field hockey team.
Not only is the squad Bowdoin's only team to have won a national championship, but it has done so three times in the past four years.
"It's just something I'm incredibly proud to be a part of," said Head Coach Nicky Pearson of this legacy.
The team's success has come in large part from Pearson's leadership, and the statistics speak for themselves: she is a seven-time winner of the NESCAC Coach of the Year award and has been named the NCAA D-III Coach of the Year three times in the past four years. In her 16-year tenure, the team has won the NESCAC championship six times.
The Polar Bears are currently ranked first in the NESCAC with a league record of 6-0, followed by Amherst at 5-1. The closest game thus far in the team's undefeated season was against Middlebury, a team the the Polar Bears beat 3-2 in overtime. Captain Ella Curren '12 made a penalty corner shot to secure the win.
The remainder of the season leaves the Polar Bears battling tough rivals. The final four NESCAC opponents are among the top six teams in the league.
For Homecoming Weekend, the team will take on Hamilton.
This is an important year for the Continentals not only because this is the first year they have representation in every league sport, but also because their field hockey coach, Gillian McDonald '04, is an alumna of Bowdoin's team. In fact, she played under Pearson and was a teammate of current assistant coaches Marissa O'Neil '05 and Kate Leonard '07.
Bowdoin's roster this year is very young. Fourteen returners welcomed eight first-year players—making over a third of the team brand new.
"It's a nice balance of new talent and experience, which is the reason we have been able to do so well," says captain Katie Herter '12. "The team has great depth and has a good foundation for years to come."
The field hockey team is currently ranked No. 2 in the country behind Salisbury University. Looking ahead, another championship seems like a possibility, and the team's poise and competitiveness show a strong desire to win.
"The team's goal is always to first win a NESCAC championship and then a national championship," said Herter. "Along the way, we hope to play our best every game and improve as a team throughout the season. Because we have been successful in the past and have done well this season, we know that every team is out to beat us. We are everybody else's biggest game of the season which pushes us to play our hardest every game."
Pearson remained humble: "We're just thinking about the next game," she said.