Despite having its doubleheader pushed back a day due to the snowstorm last weekend, the Bowdoin women’s ice hockey team still made a seven-hour trek to Hamilton College, breezing to a 3-1 victory over the Continentals Saturday night before falling 4-1 on Sunday.
The Polar Bears came out strong on Saturday when Maddie Baird ’15 put Bowdoin on the scoreboard with the team’s first shot on goal. It was Baird’s first goal of the season.
“This was definitely a confidence booster,” Jessica Bowen ’17 said. “We immediately thought that this goalie was letting things go and we just wanted to put anything we could on net.”
Bowen did just that, contributing the second goal for Bowdoin 2:19 into the second period, with a power play in a five-on three advantage. Madeline Lane ’14 passed to Bowen who one-timed it from the right circle, giving Bowdoin a 2-1 lead.
During a power play in the second minute of the third period, Rachel Kennedy ’16 scored Bowdoin’s third and final goal of the game by taking advantage of a rebound off a shot taken by Chelsea MacNeil ’15—earning Bowdoin its victory over the Continentals.
While Bowdoin’s win on Saturday was clearly the result of a team effort, sophomore Beth Findley’s unbelievable save in the second period—in which she stopped a total of 10 shots on goal—stood out to both Bowen and Kennedy.
“Essentially, it looked like she [the Hamilton shooter] just had to take a shot in the empty net” Kennedy said. “Beth came out of nowhere on the ground and made a diving save. Definitely one of the best saves I’ve ever seen.”
The Polar Bears did not see the same success during Sunday’s game, when the Continentals ended their 13-game NESCAC winless streak.
“It was their senior night and they were super pumped up,” Bowen said. “Their game was definitely way better than it usually was.”
Jill Tokarczyk, one of seven seniors honored before the game, scored the first goal of the game at 6:46. Then, Bowdoin’s Lan Crofton ’17 stopped a one-on-one with Megan Fitzgerald of Hamilton. Tokarczyk then picked up another goaloff a pass from Stephanie Lang, which she shot past Crofton’s stick side.
The Bears fought back with Kennedy picking up a goal midway through the first period. She took advantage of a pass from Schuyler Nardelli ’15 inside the center ice. Kennedy then carried the puck, despite a poke check from a Continental defender, and took a shot on Hamilton’s goalkeeper, Tori Bogen. Although Bogen saved the shot at first, it bounced right behind her and landed just over the line to put the Bears on the scoreboard.
However, as Head Coach Marissa O’Neil said, “After starting off slow, it is hard to bounce back.”
The rest of the game reflected this uphill battle. Nikki Haskins scored with 7:25 remaining in the second. Haskins took advantage of a pass from Sara Taffe that put the Continentals up 3-1.
Hamilton’s scoring ended with a goal by Gigi Fraser. Fraser took the puck near the post and shot across the crease inside the far post, giving the Continentals a decisive 4-1 win over the Bears.
“We collectively were just frustrated with our play,” said Coach O’Neil of the weekend as a whole. “The kids wanted it and were committed and do compete, but something was off. It wasn’t a step forward by any means. We can use that as motivation for this coming weekend.”
The Polar Bears, now 10-9-3 on the season and fourth in the NESCAC standings, will face off against Amherst at 7 p.m. in Watson Arena tonight and again at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Amherst is ranked No. 5 in D-III’s East Region.