The Polar Bears took home a 3-2 victory against the Hamilton College Continentals last weekend in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament, securing a place in the semifinals, where they will take on Amherst.
This marks the first time since 2008 that Bowdoin will advance to the NESCAC semifinals.
First year Jamie Hofstetter scored all three of Bowdoin’s goals, leading the Polar Bears to the crucial victory. She was subsequently named the NESCAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week.
Hofstetter’s three-goal effort ties the NESCAC Championship record for goals in a single playoff game. Saturday’s game more than doubled her goals scored in the regular season, bringing her total to five goals this fall. Hofstetter also earned Bowdoin its first NESCAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week this year.
“Hofstetter controls the play for us well, and I’m so happy that she had the opportunity to be so successful in Saturday’s match, because she really deserved it,” said Weaver.
Weaver says she is not surprised that Hofstetter was able to stand out on Saturday.
“We’ve really worked on having a team attacking philosophy and not relying on a single player to score,” she said. “This has allowed individual players to step up at different times, and while it’s often a surprise to our opponent, it’s not a surprise to us. I feel that that’s the most effective way to build a team, so that your opponent can’t just key on one player and cut them out of the game.”
After a scoreless first half, Hofstetter was able to finally get the Polar Bears on the board soon after intermission when she scored on a breakaway early in the second half.
“At half time I think everyone realized that we needed to just step up our game and finish Hamilton. We came out much stronger in the second half as a group and really combined well with the midfield and forwards to finish a few goals,” said Hofstetter. “The defense did a great job denying Hamilton opportunities and connected well with the attack as well.”
About two minutes later, Hofstetter scored her second goal of the match after redirecting a shot from sophomore Kathleen Smith. The 2-0 lead was short-lived, however, as Hamilton was able to cut Bowdoin’s lead with a goal two minutes later.
Hofstetter completed the hat trick with a 66th minute insurance goal, pushing the Polar Bears to a 3-1 advantage. Despite the Continentals netting a redirected corner kick with three minutes remaining, Hamilton was unable to tie up the game, and the Polar Bears emerged triumphant.
The Polar Bears will play Amherst in the semifinals at Williams. Amherst dealt Bowdoin its most significant loss this season, 4-1. In the past, Bowdoin has had a fairly discouraging record against Amherst, as the Lord Jeffs have kept the Polar Bears out of the past two NESCAC playoffs. In their past ten matches with Bowdoin, Amherst has a record of 8-1-1. Despite this, Coach Weaver says the team won’t use the past to predict what will happen on Saturday.
“I think Amherst gives us a golden opportunity to go back and face down our demon from the season. I never turn down those chances, so I’m looking forward to it, as I hope the team is as well,” said Weaver. To prepare for the match, she says she plans on building the team’s confidence up during the week.
“[We’re] just making sure we’re working together on both sides of the ball, taking some momentum from Saturday’s game where we were able to put together a really strong attack and make some goal- scoring opportunities for Jamie and other players,” said Weaver.
When asked about different strategies the team will employ facing Amherst, Weaver says that the game Bowdoin played against them earlier in the season revealed some of their opponent’s flaws.
“When we went after them the first time around, and really started pressuring them, we found that we had an advantage,” Weaver added. “Our plan is to play tough defense to keep them out but capitalize on opportunities to attack, because that’s where they are weakest.”
According to Hofstetter, the team is well prepared for Saturday’s match despite the pressure from the consequences of losing.
“Everyone knows that if we don’t show up and play our best against Amherst, our season will be over, so I definitely think that when its time for the game, people will give it their best effort,” she said.