Bowdoin (16-4-2, 10-3-1 NESCAC) broke its 2-game losing streak by sweeping Hamilton (11-10-1, 5-8-1 NESCAC) scoring seven more goals  than the Continentals this past weekend. 

With one week remaining in the regular season, Bowdoin, currently ranked eighth in the nation and third in the conference, is guaranteed to host a quarterfinal game in the NESCAC playoffs.
Head Coach Marissa O’Neil said she is not worried about Bowdoin’s potential seed for the NESCAC championship because the team has consistently played well this season, even after losing twice to Trinity two weeks ago.   

“Even after the Trinity series, because we had done so well prior to it, there wasn’t really a chance that we would not host,” she said. 
Though Bowdoin is guaranteed a high tournament seed, there is little chance they will battle with any less urgency against Amherst this weekend. 

 “First, it’s an issue of pride,” she said. “They are sitting outside the [national] top-10 so it is going to be a big matchup. We need to win both of these games if we want to have a chance of gaining an at-large bid, if we don’t win the NESCAC championship. We definitely won’t be taking it easy.”

Potential first round upsets could bring the tournament to Bowdoin. If top-seeded Middlebury loses in an early round, Bowdoin has a chance of becoming a tournament host. 
According to the prolfic scorer and captain Stephanie Ludy ’13, Bowdoin’s success this season has come from the team’s impressive depth.

“We’ve been doing really well creating chances offensively,” Ludy said. “I think it’s been an entire team effort—from strong forechecking to great defensive pinches. Each one of our forwards has been an offensive threat this season, and with our team’s ability to run three balanced lines, we’ve been able to keep the momentum going offensively. Spending more time in the offensive zone has helped give us better scoring opportunities overall.”

Bowdoin’s offense and defense are ranked second and first respectively in the NESCAC. 
Captain Kayte Holtz ’13 played extremely well in the Hamilton series, posting her fifth career hat trick. 

Ariana Bourque ’16 got things started early with a goal in the first minutes of the opening period on Friday. 

Later in the first, Bowdoin was penalized and down a player, but Holtz took control of the puck, beat three Hamilton players into their zone, and blasted it home for a short-handed goal.

In the second and third periods, Bowdoin scored four more goals to put the game completely out of reach.

Hamilton rallied a bit in the final period, sneaking the puck past goalie Kayla Lessard ’13, but it was inconsequential as the game ended 6-1. 

In the second game, which was Bowdoin’s Senior Night, Ludy scored a pair of goals to lead the team to victory in her last regular season home game. 

Hamilton attempted a comeback in the latter part of the second period, but Bourque and Rachel Kennedy ’16 worked together to score the final goal of the game.

O’Neil said she is impressed with the level of commitment from her seniors. 

“Going into the year, you know it is your last hurrah,” she said. “I have seen—both as a player and a coach—so many seniors either have their best year or become overwhelmed. This weekend, we scored nine goals and maybe six or seven of them were senior goals.”

This is the first time Bowdoin has won 16 games since the 2007 season. 

The regular season finale against Amherst is especially important because it will be the first time Bowdoin will play at Amherst in four years. 

“For this senior class, the last five games have been one goal games,” O’Neil said. “There is definitely a rivalry here, not to mention what is at stake this year. We haven’t played at Amherst since I have been coaching here.”

“Personally, I’m very excited to go back to Amherst,” Ludy agreed. “The last time we played there was freshman year in the semi-final game when we lost in double OT.”
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The team will play against Amherst in a two game series this Friday and Saturday. Seeds for the NESCAC Championship will be announced early next week.