This past weekend, the unbeaten Middlebury Panthers dealt the women’s soccer team its first loss of the season, dropping the Polar Bears (4-1 overall, 2-1 NESCAC). 
In the first half of the game, the Panthers outshot Bowdoin 6-1, but neither team was able to make it past the keepers. Following the half, Middlebury defender Lucy Wagner lofted a shot over keeper Bridget McCarthy ’16 and into the back of the net. For the remainder of the match, the Middlebury defense held onto the score to continue their then-perfect season. The team tied also-undefeated Amherst the next day. 
“The Middlebury game was tough. They were definitely the best opponent we’ve faced so far,” said Camille Wasinger ’15. “I think our real problem was that it took us some time to figure out how to best play against them. We took up a good portion of the first half figuring out our strategy and how to defend them and ended up missing some of our best scoring opportunities.” 
Despite the Polar Bears’ loss to Middlebury, however, Wasinger is optimistic if  they face the Panthers again, which is likely to happen if both teams make the NESCAC playoffs. 
“There’s no doubt Middlebury is a good team, but I think the game could easily have gone the other way, as I hope it will if we face them again,” she said. 
On Tuesday, the Polar Bears returned to action with a non-conference win over UNE at home. After trading possession for a large part of the first half, Bowdoin’s Toni DeCampo ’13 scored the game’s only goal in the final fifteen minutes of the first half. 
Senior Carolyn Gorajek fed the ball from the right wing to DeCampo, who was perched at the top of the box. DeCampo struck the ball hard, sending a shot that just snuck between the crossbar and the keeper’s outstretched hands. 
The game was scoreless from that point on, securing the win for the Polar Bears. Although the Nor’easters outshot Bowdoin 17-15 throughout the game, the Polar Bear defense held tough, and goaltenders Bridget McCarthy and Louise Johnson ’14 combined for nine saves overall. 
 “While it was a very important win,” she said, “we should definitely have won by more than we did.”
Although Bowdoin did not play its best in the past two games, the games against UNE and Middlebury taught the Polar Bears a few much-needed lessons in defense.  
“Our main focus is now on better defending the midfield,” Wasinger said. “We are hoping to come to the Connecticut College match much more prepared to win balls before they reach our defense.”
The Polar Bears are in fifth place in the NESCAC behind Williams, Middlebury, Hamilton and Amherst. 
The next game for  Bowdoin will be a home conference match tomorrow at noon against Connecticut College.