GRAND FINALE
The men’s hockey team concluded its regular season with an impressive overtime victory against Tufts this past Saturday. Led by Patrick Callahan ’24, the Polar Bears put four goals past the Jumbos’ goalie by the end of the game.
Before Alex Lloyd was named the men’s basketball coach last May, Lloyd worked as the lead assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. While Lloyd is no longer working for the Grizzlies organization, he remains a supporter of his former employer.
The women’s basketball team suffered a harsh defeat in their last regular-season game in Morrell Gymnasium on Sunday. Bowdoin’s 0-5 shooting cold streak to start the game opened the door for Wesleyan to go on an early 11-0 run.
UPHILL BATTLE
The Nordic ski team had one of its biggest challenges of the year this past weekend at the Dartmouth Carnival. The unusually warm winter temperatures led to soft and slushy snow conditions, which made the team’s wax setup exceptionally difficult.
This past weekend, the women’s swim and dive team traveled to Waterville for the 2022 NESCAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. Over three days of intense competition, the team shattered multiple school records and came back to Brunswick with a fifth-place finish.
In Bowdoin’s recent win against Wesleyan University, Chris Brown ’23 achieved something all hockey players dream of: a hat trick, three goals in the same game. With the Polar Bears up 3-1 late in the third period, Patrick Callahan ’24 made a sprawling play to break up a pass between two Wesleyan defenders and sent the puck careening towards the Cardinals’ empty goal.
In September 2020, Ashmead White Director of Athletics Tim Ryan sent an email to all athletes and coaches outlining the athletic department’s plan to combat internal racial inequalities. After the initial email was sent 17 months ago, the department’s commitment to increase staff diversity has come to fruition.
This past weekend, the women’s hockey team improved their record to 10-8-1 (6-7-1 NESCAC) after splitting their series against the number 7 ranked Trinity College Bantams. Despite taking an early lead, Bowdoin lost 3-1 to Trinity on Friday, February 11th.
SPEED. I AM SPEED.
The Bowdoin Men’s Track and Field team finished second in the Maine State Meet held in Waterville this past Sunday. Over the course of the competition, numerous Bowdoin athletes produced impressive performances, with Ajay Olson ’23 and Cheng Xing ’23 honored as MVPs of the meet.
Charlie Pyne ’22 is a senior on the men’s lacrosse team, but he has only played one season. He wasn’t injured, he didn’t ride the bench and he didn’t take time off. Pyne just belongs to one of the few teams on campus that has not played a game since March 2020.
The Bowdoin men’s squash team finished out an impressive season by making history at last Sunday’s NESCAC Championships. Bowdoin defeated Colby 6-3 and Middlebury 7-2 in the quarterfinals before facing off against Trinity in the final.
Throughout this semester, the Bowdoin Orient Sports Section will highlight outstanding individual performances by Bowdoin athletes every week. All athletes are eligible to receive this distinction, and the Orient aims to include athletes from as many teams as possible by the end of the year.
SQUASHING THE COMPETITION
The men’s squash team is seeded third for the NESCAC championships this weekend. Despite a disappointing loss to St. Lawrence on January 29, the team capped off its season with the highest seeding in the program’s history and will face sixth-ranked Colby in the quarterfinals.
After a string of victories in January, Bowdoin Men’s Hockey fell to the Colby Mules at home by a score of 3-1.
In front of a packed crowd in Watson Arena, the Polar Bears quickly fell behind 2-0 in the first seven minutes before Chris Brown ’23 scored a goal with five minutes remaining in the first period.
Despite a late push, the Bowdoin men’s basketball team failed to rally against rival Bates in a 77-88 loss on Sunday at Morrell Gymnasium.
The game’s end result notwithstanding, first-year coach Alex Lloyd had praise for the way his team played down the stretch.
Throughout this semester, the Bowdoin Orient Sports Section will highlight outstanding individual performances by Bowdoin athletes every week. All athletes are eligible to receive this distinction, and the Orient aims to include athletes from as many teams as possible by the end of the year.
SPLASH SISTERS
The women’s basketball team, led by impressive three-point shooting performances from Sela Kay ’23 and Annie Boasberg ’22, improved to a record of 14-3 (4-1 NESCAC) following a commanding four-game winning streak. Over the course of the streak, Kay averaged nearly three made three-pointers per game and Boasberg boasted an impressive 46% from beyond the arc to propel their team to the top of the NESCAC standings.
At the beginning of winter break, the College barred all those outside of the College’s COVID-19 testing program from attending indoor sporting events for the break’s duration. Whereas the new policy has led to a loss of a community for players, it has provided some surprise positives as well.
Throughout this semester, the Bowdoin Orient Sports Section will highlight outstanding individual performances by Bowdoin athletes every week. All athletes are eligible to receive this distinction, and the Orient aims to include athletes from as many teams as possible by the end of the year.
Bowdoin Squash experienced a rocky start to this season when both the men’s and women’s teams lost three matches in a row; however, over the course of the season, both teams have become dominant forces. Ahead of their matches this weekend, the men’s team is currently 6-5 and the women’s team is 7-6.
WE THE NORTH
The women’s hockey team closed out its fall semester with a 3-0 home victory over visiting University of Southern Maine (USM) Tuesday night. Zoe Wilson ’23 and Brett Stoddard ’24 opened the scoring with two back-to-back goals early in the first period and the Polar Bears never looked back.
After their win over Husson University on Wednesday, Bowdoin’s men’s basketball team has launched into their season with a 7-2 start. The team looks vastly different from a year and a half ago with the entrance of new head coach Alex Lloyd and two new talented classes to go alongside the already proven upperclassmen.
Hosted in a quiet town of 4,200 on the outskirts of Baxter State Park, the annual Millinocket Marathon and Half is more than a road race. An annual tradition for many students, alumni and staff at the College, the races aim to give back to the Millinocket community in Northern Maine.
BYRD SOARS TO THE TOP
Last Thursday, men’s soccer star Drake Byrd ’21 was named to the All-American Second Team and the All-NESCAC First Team for Division III men’s soccer. En route to his honors, he had a stellar senior campaign, recording five goals and seven assists during the 2021 season.
If you are watching a football game at Whittier Field, you will likely see running back Andre Eden ’24 charging through a storm of defenders and bringing the crowd to its feet. In his first official season of college football, Eden provided a much-needed jolt of energy to the Polar Bears’ offense.
In a slow start to its 2021-2022 season, the men’s hockey team currently has a 0-3-1 overall record (0-1-0 NESCAC), recording losses to Williams, the University of New England (UNE) and Babson College.
However, the Polar Bears have been defeated by solid teams.
In Ben Raphelson’s first year as Head Coach of the men’s and women’s cross-country teams, he sent four athletes to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III National Championship in Louisville, Kentucky on November 20.
History repeats itself. On Sunday, November 21, the women’s rugby team completed its undefeated season by capturing its second consecutive National Intercollegiate Rugby League (NIRA) Division III championship. In West Point, New York, the Polar Bears defeated the University of New England (UNE) by a score of 31-12.
Discussion about and attention to mental health have increased significantly among college students in recent years. This uptick has created conversations at the College addressing unique mental health concerns for student-athletes who juggle practices and competitions in addition to their academic and social responsibilities.
Following a third place finish at the New England Championship qualifier, four members of the sailing team will conclude their fall season by competing at the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) National Championship this weekend. The team, composed of Alden Grimes ’21, John Seider ’22, Meghan Gonzalez ’23 and Tbo Antonietti ’24, will travel to St.
In Room 213 of the Peter Buck Center for Health and Fitness, the same room that holds cycling and yoga classes, a small group of students put their fencing skills to the test three times per week.
RUNNING TO REGIONALS
The men’s and women’s cross-country teams will compete at the NCAA Division III East Regional at Suffolk University in Franklin Park, Massachusetts. Each team will bring eight athletes, seven competitors and one alternate.
Building off a dominant regular season resulting in a 22-4 overall record and top seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament, the women’s volleyball team captured the NESCAC championship for the third time in the last seven years.
On November 6, the football team narrowly missed out on a victory over Bates in its last home game and second-to-last game of the season. Playing under the lights in the third night game in the history of Whittier Field, the Polar Bears fell short by a score of 25-24.
SERVING UP THE NESCAC
Tonight, the volleyball team’s hunt for a conference title will begin. After recording a 19-4 overall record and securing the first seed in the 2021 NESCAC Volleyball Championship, the Polar Bears earned the privilege of hosting all rounds of the championship in the Morrell Gymnasium.
Last Sunday, the men and women’s cross country teams competed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship in Manchester, Connecticut, with both teams placing higher than their seeds and recording memorable individual performances.
In the official preseason rankings that were recently released by D3hoops.com, the women’s basketball team was ranked 13th overall in Division III and second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), behind only Tufts University.
Last Tuesday, Angelina Mayers ’23, the Athletic representative for the Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) and the Athletes of Color Coalition (AOCC) representative to the Bowdoin Student Athlete Advisory Committee (BSAAC), sent an email to the greater student body seeking opinions on the perceived student-athlete divide on campus.
WINTER SPORTS FLURRY
The winter athletic season will be in full swing soon. Competitions begin November 13, headlined by the women’s basketball team facing Nazareth College in the University of New England (UNE) Tip-Off Tournament in Biddeford and the men’s basketball team taking on Thomas College at home.
The women’s volleyball team currently sits in first place in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) with a 7-1 in-conference record and a 17-4 overall record. Heading into the playoffs, the team has won 13 of its last 14 matches—including the last five in a row—and is a contender to host the first game of the NESCAC tournament.
On Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24, the men’s and women’s rowing teams competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The annual HOCR is the largest rowing regatta in the world, drawing over 11,000 competitors.
After winning the Division III national championship in the 2019-2020 season, the women’s rugby team aims to continue its success through the last stretch of the regular season by continuing to split up their major goals into smaller, more immediately achievable parts.
This semester, the athletic department has engaged in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) education workshops with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice (ISSJ), a Florida-based educational company that couples a passion for athletics with a commitment to social justice.
Following the change in the College’s COVID-19 status level from Yellow to Green, Ashmead White Director of Athletics Tim Ryan announced in an email to all athletes a loosening of masking restrictions for athletes and coaches during indoor athletic events.
As the clock struck zero at Whittier Field this past Saturday, fans rushed from their seats and stormed the field to celebrate the football team’s first win since the fall of 2018. Although they were labeled as the underdogs against their New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Amherst College, the Polar Bears led from start to finish, defeating the Mammoths by a score of 21-14.
Women’s lacrosse will see a familiar face on its coaching staff as it prepares for its 2022 season. On September 29, the Athletic Department announced that Kara Finnerty ’20 has been hired as an assistant coach for the team.
As the leaves in Brunswick begin to change colors, Bowdoin’s winter sports teams set their sights on the season ahead. After a two-year hiatus from uninterrupted winter competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bowdoin’s athletes, coaches, administrators and fans are ready for winter sports to return to the College.
Following a forced 18-month hiatus from competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the women’s soccer team returned to the pitch this semester, much to the thrill of the players, coaches and fans alike.
Members of the team were excited to return to a competitive environment that encourages them to work together.
FALL-ING INTO WINTER SPORTS
Following two weeks of informal, pre-season practices and training camps, winter sports teams will begin official practices with their coaches and full rosters today. Winter sports teams have not enjoyed a full, uninterrupted season of training and competition since the winter of 2018-2019.
On Saturday, September 26, the men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in their first home meet since the fall of 2019. The Polar Bears hosted the Bowdoin Invitational, recording both individual and team victories against Emmanuel College, Endicott College and Saint Joseph’s College.
Editor’s Note 10/1/21 at 11:08 a.m.: This article has been updated to reflect the correct author.
On Saturday, September 25, the football team returned to Whittier Field for its first home game of the season, taking on Trinity College.
WOMEN’S TENNIS PREPARES TO CAUSE A RACKET
This weekend, the women’s tennis team will host the Division III New England International Tennis Association (ITA) tournament at the Pickard Tennis Courts. This event marks the first competition of the season for the women’s team and the team’s first time playing in a tournament since the fall of 2019.
This past weekend, the men’s tennis team came back strong at the Division III International Tennis Association (ITA) tournament after two years without formal competition. For the first time in two decades, Bowdoin hosted the tournament, which gave the majority of the team its first chance to compete in collegiate-level matches.
TENNIS TEAM HOPES TO SERVE UP FIRST WIN OF SEASON
This weekend, the men’s tennis team will host the men’s Interscholastic Tennis Association (ITA) regional championship at the College for the first time in over two decades.
Following a quiet 18 months, women’s volleyball made a striking comeback in its first home game of the season against Wesleyan University last Friday, defeating the Cardinals 3-1. Despite some adjustments due to COVID-19 protocols, the team was ecstatic to return to Morrell Gymnasium with an eventful comeback.
Following an 18-month pause of social and athletic activity on campus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the athletic department has noted an increase in the number of spectators at sporting events in comparison to past academic years as the College’s full student body inhabits the campus for the first time since February 2020.
In its second game of the season, the women’s rugby team dominated Colby-Sawyer by a score of 79-0 on September 17. The Polar Bears are the 2019 defending national champions, but with only two games under their belt and a team that hasn’t competed in-season in over a year, the Polar Bears are focusing on the small achievements.
History can be rewritten, as the men’s soccer team proved last weekend. On Saturday, the unranked Polar Bears defeated the second-ranked team in Division III, Amherst College, by a score of 1-0.
Led by a thrilling header from Charles Ward ’22, the Polar Bears beat Amherst in a men’s soccer competition for the first time in 13 years.
After winning 494 games—more than all other coaches in Bowdoin men’s basketball history combined—former men’s basketball Head Coach Tim Gilbride retired at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year after a 35 year career. To fill the void left by Gilbride, Alex Lloyd became the eighth head coach in the team’s history.
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT PREPARES FOR INDOOR HOME COMPETITION
The College will be hosting its first indoor athletic events of the fall season this weekend as the volleyball team faces Wesleyan College today and Connecticut College tomorrow. The players will be allowed to use their discretion to decide whether they want to wear masks during the game or not, but most of them will likely err on the side of caution and keep the masks on.
The women’s soccer team brought energy and enthusiasm back to Farley Field for their first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) game in 18 months. Coming off an 11-0 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), the Polar Bears came up short against Amherst College, losing 3-0 on Saturday, September 11.
As a significant number of COVID-19 cases have emerged on campus in the past few weeks, the scope of health and safety procedures looks very different from the start of the semester. However, despite the additional safety measures across campus, the Athletic Department has stuck to their previously outlined protocols, relying mostly on campus status levels and guidance from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
After over ten years of partnering with Orthopedic Associates (OA) in Brunswick, the athletic department announced in an email on Monday that a new, on-campus physical therapy (PT) clinic serving all students is now open on the second floor of Farley Field House.
To quote Thin Lizzy’s hit song, the [Bears] are back in town. The successes of the College’s women’s basketball team are formidable: the team has posted a winning overall record since the 1990s, leads the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in championship victories and has been in the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III championship in the last two completed tournaments.
Partnering with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice (ISSJ)—a social justice and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) education company based in Florida—the athletic department has created a roadmap of mandatory DEI training for coaches.
“It’s a six-step program that works its way up to the final step, which is action.
MEN’S SOCCER KICKS OFF SEASON
In their first game of the season and the College’s first fall athletic competition, the men’s soccer team defeated the University of New England (UNE) by a score of 3-0. Drake Byrd ’21 netted two goals, and Minseo Bae ’22 added the third.
On May 3, Eva Dowd ’22 posted a one-question poll to her Instagram story: ‘If you’re a woman, would you be interested in a club soccer team at Bowdoin?’ The response was overwhelming—with over 60 interested students and a host of alumni expressing their support, Dowd felt empowered to try and kickstart a team.
Supported by a campus community that boasts a vaccination rate of 99% and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Bowdoin’s athletic department is preparing to return to an unabbreviated schedule of competition for the first time since the fall of 2019.
RETURN TO BUSY COMPETITION SCHEDULE
After an 18-month halt to athletic competition due to COVID-19 restrictions and protocols from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the College will return to a jam-packed schedule beginning next week.
Just over a month ago, Emilie Grand’Pierre ’23, boasting citizenship in both the United States and Haiti, represented her home country of Haiti at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. She competed in the 100-meter breaststroke, winning her heat with a time of one minute and 14.82 seconds.
Unlike most Bowdoin students who are spending the summer with friends and family and making plans to watch the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan from the comfort of their homes, women’s swimmer and rising junior Emilie Grand’Pierre ’23 is training to compete at the Olympics.
After two years without competing on the gridiron, the Bowdoin football team will feature three new coaches alongside two new classes of players during their upcoming season. Mike Deitrick, Ahmaad Smith and Dave Aoyagi were hired earlier this month to coach running backs, cornerbacks and safeties, respectively.
Over the course of her 13-year career at Bowdoin, women’s basketball Head Coach Adrienne Shibles has impacted the lives of each of her athletes and brought the program to unprecedented heights. Under her leadership, the team appeared at the NCAA tournament 11 times and won two NESCAC championships, solidifying Shibles’ spot as Bowdoin’s winningest women’s basketball coach of all time.
Since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police last June, athletes, coaches and administrators within the athletic department have been involved in increasing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in athletics through events, team-based DEI programs and a number of new committees.
Finding opportunities to play sanctioned team sports has been challenging this semester, but as the semester comes to close, intramural soccer playoffs are providing students opportunities to bring some competitive spirit.
During the fall semester, Bowdoin was only able to offer one team intramural: badminton, a sport that allows for social distancing.
Despite uncertainty going into the semester, the softball team made the most of the abbreviated 2021 spring season. Although the team played only 12 games—compared to a usual 40 game season—with a small roster of 11 players, a focus on teamwork and enjoyment made it a season for all to remember.
Although Peter Moore ’23 races on the Nordic ski team at Bowdoin, his one true love is cycling—and in the past year, it’s taken him to France to compete for the AG2R Citroën U23 Cycling Team.
ATHLETICS FOR EVERYONE
In a joint statement with the presidents of Colby and Bates, President Clayton Rose announced his strong opposition to two anti-transgender athlete bills currently working their way through the Maine Legislature. If passed, the bills would bar transgender women from playing in elementary, secondary and collegiate sports.
Welcome one and all to what is Well In, Lad’s final column of the semester. It’s been a long journey, but I’ve enjoyed myself plenty, so I hope all of you reading have, too. To wrap up the semester, I want to do a little reminiscing on the past and take a look at what the future of soccer might hold.
SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS
At the third Bowdoin-Colby-Bates track and field meet this past weekend, two school records fell as the men’s and women’s teams closed out their non-scoring season. On the men’s side, Ajay Olson ’23 earned a new school record in the 100 meter dash (10.69 seconds), and he just barely missed the school’s 45-year-old 200 meter dash record (21.42 seconds) by 0.2 seconds.
Every September, collegiate athletic departments around the country are required by the U.S. Department of Education and the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) to report their athletic expenses and net revenues, as well as the demographics of their teams, for the previous academic year.
Following an 18-month hiatus from competition, the women’s soccer team hosted Bates on Sunday, May 2 for a scrimmage with no official box score. The 90-minute competition was played over three 30-minute periods as opposed to the typical two 45-minute periods in order to give players more rest and recovery time.
Welcome to Full Court Press, a Bowdoin sports podcast presented by the Bowdoin Orient. Paul Russo ’23 and Billy Ackerman ’23 host the show, interviewing Bowdoin athletes about their journey to Bowdoin, athletic careers and setbacks and what college sports look like under COVID-19.
Adrienne Shibles, Head Coach of the women’s basketball team, has accepted an offer to become head coach of the Dartmouth College women’s basketball team. Over 12 seasons, the Polar Bears’ record was 281-65, making the NCAA tournament 11 times.
After 18 months without competition, the current national champion women’s rugby team hosted Colby for an unofficial scrimmage on April 24. The scrimmage resembled a traditional match, the only significant difference being a shift from a two-halves format to a four-quarter model that gave players more opportunity for rest.
This past summer, Bowdoin athletics entered a partnership with the software company SIDEARM Sports. The company now powers the Bowdoin athletics website, allowing for seamless publishing of live and post-game stats and providing easier access to archival athletics data.
After serving as the Head Coach of the men’s basketball team for nearly four decades and earning a record-setting 494 wins, Tim Gilbride has announced that he will retire at the end of this academic year.
Editor’s note 05/02/2021 at 10:28 a.m.: A previous version of this article stated that the NESCAC formed in 1999. This article has been updated to reflect the fact that this was when Bowdoin joined the NESCAC, not when the NESCAC formed.
SWEPT OFF
After the Polar Bears split their games last weekend, they were swept by Trinity this past weekend, losing 9-8 in the first game and 9-6 in the second game. Despite the losses, they did see some standout performances.
SPLITTER
Softball played a double header against Tufts on Saturday and another double header against Colby on Sunday. The Polar Bears went 2-2, splitting both double headers. After winning in eight innings against Tufts by a score of 11-8, the team dropped the second Saturday game, losing 12-2.
This past Sunday, the very foundation on which European soccer has been laid for over 150 years was shaken to its core with a power move that would have given the game as we know it a complete overhaul.
For the first time in over a year, Bowdoin’s track and field teams put on their uniforms for a dual meet with Colby College last Sunday. Although the meet was smaller than usual, a few athletes achieved personal records, and almost all expressed gratitude to be competing again.
“There are a lot of ways to do track and field, and I like to think ours is a good way: for camaraderie, fun, education and good results. I do the best I can based on what I remember as an athlete and the feedback I get from Bowdoin students I trust,” Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities and Assistant Coach of track and field Lynn Ruddy once wrote in an email to her former athlete Louis Duffus-Artman ’07.
Through budget freezes and cuts, Bowdoin athletics remained a dominant force on campus during the 1990s. However, a social divide still existed on campus.
Bowdoin athletics kicked off the decade with a bang. On September 28, 1990, “Football edges Middlebury” appeared in big bold letters in the Orient after a recent nail-biting win.
RESCHEDULED
Rescheduling games that had been cancelled due to COVID-19, the athletic department announced that the softball team will play a double-header at Tufts on Saturday and a double-header against Colby at home on Sunday. These games were originally scheduled to be back-to-back home and away double-headers for the weekends of April 10 and 11 against Tufts and April 3 and 4 against Colby.
Following the announcement that Associate Director for Athletics and Assistant Coach Lynn Ruddy will retire at the end of the 2020-21 academic year, the athletic department shared that Assistant Football Coach Kevin Loney has been promoted to the position of assistant athletic director for facilities and event management, effective July 1.
Highlighting the work of women’s rugby Head Coach MaryBeth Mathews, the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) added Bowdoin’s women’s rugby team to their list of the 15 most influential programs in the nation this past March.
The softball team finally took the field for the first time in over a year this past weekend in a double-header against Amherst College after multiple game cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns. Despite some breakout performances, the Polar Bears lost both games with scores of 5-4 and 10-2, respectively.
After a month-long hiatus, I want to welcome back each and every one of you to Well-In, Lad. Luckily, for my content’s sake, we’re entering what many would consider the most exciting stretch of soccer this year.
Following the retirement of longtime men’s track and field Head Coach Peter Slovenski, the athletic department announced on March 31 that Lara-Jane (LJ) Que, Head Coach of the women’s track and field program, will be stepping into the role of Head Coach for the men’s program as well this June.