Over the past three years, the field hockey team has made a habit of finding its way to the very top of the D-III rankings.
Head Coach Nicky Pearson still doesn’t take any game lightly—especially in the intensely competitive NESCAC.
Despite having not given up a goal to Connecticut College in the past two seasons, the team refused to look past the Camels.
“Every team changes each year; we try not to look back too much or form any opinions,” said Pearson.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the team does not analyze and assess its competition in advance of its matches.
“We try and do our homework as much as we can about the opponent [in order to] take away strengths and exploit their weaknesses,” Pearson said.
During the Connecticut College game, the team went the first 20 minutes without scoring a goal. The Polar Bears started their turn around at the 24:20 mark, when Rachel Kennedy ’16 scored her first goal, followed by a second score eight minutes later.
“It really brought the momentum up of the team, [and] once we got into a groove, the momentum carried,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy’s goals shifted the momentum decisively to Bowdoin. Connecticut College had a mere two shots on goal during the entirety of the game, while Bowdoin had 24.
In addition to Kennedy’s goals in the first half, captain Olivia King ’14 put the ball in the net shortly after Kennedy.
“We gained momentum after the first goal, which led to the second, then the third right away,” said King. “It started from the defense, was brought up to the middies, then to the forwards. We worked to our strengths, and everyone had a [specific attribution] in receiving those goals.”
Captain Katie Riley ’14 also contributed her own unassisted goal in the second half. Assists from Emily McColgan ’17 and Kennedy throughout the game helped the team extend its lead. Kennedy received NESCAC Player of the Week accolades for her performance against Conn. College. Though only midway through her sophomore year, Kennedy has leapt into the top-10 Bowdoin scorers of all time.
“Being aggressive and doing my job as forward is my key attribute of success,” Kennedy said.
The team is nearing its post-season, with its last two games of the season against Colby and Tufts. Tomorrow they will be hosting Colby at 11 a.m. and look to further extend the team’s 40-game winning streak the best in D-III.