The field hockey team's quest to make history by winning four national championships in five years quickly evaporated when Bowdoin lost to Middlebury in the D-III semifinals on November 19.
Though the Polar Bears beat the Panthers just two weeks before in the NESCAC championship, Bowdoin was dealt its first and only loss of the season with a score of 3-0.
"Going into the game, I wouldn't have thought that it was going to be a 3-0 score either way," Head Coach Nicky Pearson said.
Middlebury advanced to the D-III championship the following day, losing 3-1 to The College of New Jersey.
The semifinal loss ended one of the most successful seasons in team history; the Polar Bears finished with an overall record of 19-1.
The three goals that Bowdoin allowed to Middlebury constituted a season high, and the loss broke the team's 26-game winning streak.
Middlebury capitalized on its trademark physicality and speed from the starting whistle and managed to score two goals before the end of the first half.
Bowdoin refused to back down and kept pace with Middlebury's second half shots—both teams had five—but the Polar Bears were still unable to get on the scoreboard.
The loss cut short the seasons of seniors Ella Curren, Elizabeth Clegg, Emily French, Katie Herter, and McKenna Teague, keeping them from the chance of earning their third NCAA title. Their D-III tournament record stands at an impressive 14-1.
"It was an exceptional season," Pearson said. "The growth of the individual players and the growth of the team from August until November is something I'm incredibly proud of."
-Compiled by Ron Cervantes.