After Bowdoin scored two straight touchdowns in the first quarter of last Saturday’s game against Wesleyan, the Cardinals responded with 34 unanswered points to deliver the Polar Bears their third straight loss. Bowdoin falls to 1-5 as Wesleyan improves to 5-1, tied for second in the NESCAC. 
Quarterback Tommy Romero ’14 passed for 226 yards, his highest passing yardage this season, and threw for one touchdown and four interceptions. Tight end Michael English ’14 was the recipient of the single touchdown pass. 
Sophomore tight end Matt Perlow, an emerging threat for Bowdoin’s offense, caught a 62-yard pass that set the Polar Bears up for their second touchdown. He finished the game with two receptions for 88 yards. 
Junior running back Zach Donnarumma capitalized on Perlow’s catch with a four-yard touchdown run. Bowdoin did not score again the rest of the game. 
According to Head Coach Dave Caputi, the team’s four untimely turnovers prevented the offense from scoring. On the defensive side of the ball, a few blown coverages resulted in easy touchdowns for the Cardinals. 
“They ran 53 plays for 152 yards. We had nine plays that gave up over 300 yards,” Caputi said. 
The Cardinals amassed 454 total offensive yards against the Polar Bears, with 153 of those coming from two large second-half plays. 
In the beginning of the third quarter, with the Cardinals leading 17-14, Wesleyan’s running back broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run. They sealed the victory in the fourth quarter with an 83-yard touchdown run.
Despite the multiple defensive lapses in the game, the Polar Bears remain third in the conference in points-allowed-per-game, with only 24.8 this season. 
Beau Breton—senior captain, defensive back, and punter—points toward linebacker Griffin Cardew ’14, currently third in the NESCAC in tackles, as a key contributor to the defense’s success.
“He’s always been a great athlete,” said Breton. “He’s grown as a football player and become a leader on the field.”
In last week’s game, Cardew and Joey Cleary ’14 each recorded 10 tackles. Sophomore Tom Wells led the defensive line with six tackles. The Polar Bears have two remaining games this season—against rivals Bates and Colby. 
They will begin their quest for their second CBB title in three years with their game against Bates at Whittier Field this Saturday. With the second- best rushing attack in the conference and the most intercepted passes this year, the Bobcats are fit to exploit Bowdoin’s weaknesses. Nevertheless, history supports the Polar Bears, according to the team. 
“The trophy has been here for six straight years,” senior captain and offensive lineman Martin Robledo said. “We plan on keeping it for a seventh.”