NESCAC CoSAoC
Late last month, the NESCAC formed a Coalition of Student-Athletes of Color (CoSAoC) with representatives from all 11 member schools. The announcement describes their mission statement as trying to “encourage dialogue and solidarity around issues of race.” The coalition aims to work with all member schools’ athletic departments in their pursuit to support student-athletes of color, and they will encourage the diversification of athletic departments across the conference.
SMART COOKIES
This fall, 78 members of the Bowdoin athletic community have been recognized as Academic All-NESCAC. Even though there was no formal athletic competition this fall, the conference acknowledged athletes’ academic achievements as they do every year.
FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Women’s soccer has taken advantage of their virtual season this fall to raise over $40,000 for different organizations around New England. Beginning with a virtual 5K for Maine Inside Out, an organization that reaches out to those who have been incarcerated and experienced structural racism, the team raised almost $3,000 in partnership with the volleyball team.
VOTES
Bowdoin’s athletes turned out to vote on Tuesday, according to the Bowdoin Orient’s Election survey. Of the 328 athletes who responded to the survey, 321 athletes, or 97.9 percent of the total, said they planned to vote.
AN EXTRA YEAR
Yesterday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Presidents announced that all Division III athletes can compete in athletic competitions and practices this academic year without losing a season of eligibility. This is a one-time waiver, and the Presidents hope that it will allow student athletes to have more flexibility in deciding their academic plans for the spring 2021 semester.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WEBSITE
With the rollout of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan, the Athletic Department has also created a new webpage that has a list of resources for students in minority groups on campus.
BIG BRAINS
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams were awarded College Team Academic Awards by the United Soccer Coaches Colleges Services Program this past week for their academic achievements during the 2019-2020 academic year. Every rostered member of both teams maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for the entirety of the academic year.
TIME FOR A BREAK
Fall break is almost here, and the athletic department has worked hard to make sure that students on campus can sweat out all their anxieties in the athletics facilities over the weekend.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Bowdoin’s athletic facilities opened this week after the College maintained a “yellow” campus level for over a week-and-a-half. However, the facilities’ hours are scaled back, and the athletic department has implemented many safety precautions.
INTRAMURALS
With zero active COVID-19 cases at Bowdoin and the College in “yellow” status, the intramural season is going to kick off this weekend! New intramurals like cornhole, croquet, frisbee golf and power walk rugby are open to all students on campus.
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
The women’s basketball team defeated Hamilton 77-63 in its NESCAC quarterfinal matchup last Saturday, but at halftime, a different group of competitors took the court. The back-to-back NCAA Division III finalist Polar Bears are a tough act to follow, but the third-and-fourth-grade travel teams from the Ararat Youth Basketball League entertained fans with a thrilling exhibition game during the break.
SEED SEED SEED SEED SEED
After an eighth-place finish at NESCAC championships two weeks ago, the women’s squash team is seeded fifth in the the Walker Cup Division for the upcoming College Squash Association National Tournament, which begins tonight in New Haven, Conn..
ICE, ICE, BABY
The women’s hockey team climbed one game closer to .500 with a 2-0 away victory over the University of New England (UNE) on Tuesday night. After dropping both games last weekend in a home series against Amherst, the Polar Bears snapped a four-game UNE win streak to return to their winning ways.
CONTROL THE T, WIN BY 3
In the lone high note in the women’s squash team’s 8-1 loss to Franklin & Marshall last Sunday, Clio Bersani ’22 swept her match 3-0 as number 2 in the ladder and was awarded NESCAC Performer of the Week honors for her efforts.
NUMBER FIVE, LOOK ALIVE
The women’s squash team clawed its way back to a winning record with a close 5-4 win over Colby on Wednesday, bringing the team’s overall record to 7-6 on the season. The middle of the Bowdoin ladder carried the Polar Bears to victory, with the team claiming 3-0 wins at spots three, four and six.
SZE IT WITH ME
First year women’s squash player Ursula Sze ’23 was named NESCAC Player of the Week for her clutch performance against Dickinson last weekend to secure a narrow 5-4 home victory over the Red Devils.
SCIPION TOP
Sophie Barber ’23 and Deven Kanwal ’23 were both named NESCAC Players of the Week for women’s and men’s squash, respectively, following the pair of first-years’ performances against Hamilton and Wesleyan on November 23 and 24.
GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, SOLD
Following a run to the NESCAC final, the volleyball team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Polar Bears are one of 32 teams in the nation to qualify for the Division III Championships.
NIRA, FAR, WHEREVER YOU ARE
The women’s rugby team will host Norwich University in the NIRA semifinal on Saturday at 11 a.m.. After starting off the league campaign with a 38-8 loss to first-place Colby Sawyer, the Polar Bears bounced back with two key wins to secure the second playoff seed.
A PACHYDERMAGICAL MOMENT
The field hockey team secured the number two NESCAC playoff seed in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 overtime victory away at Tufts on Wednesday. After an early Jumbos goal, Peyton Jackson ’21 equalized in the third quarter to send the game into overtime.
DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY
The women’s rugby team fell to Vassar 32-24 on Saturday, snapping a four-game winning streak. The Polar Bears jumped out to an early start, carrying a narrow 12-10 lead into half.
BECAUSE OF WIND-DIXIE
The women’s sailing team competed in two separate regattas last weekend, posting strong performances in both and qualifying for Match Race Nationals in the process. At the Women’s Showcase B Finals hosted by St.
GIVING THEIR OPPONENTS A HELSINKING FEELING
Men’s lacrosse alumnus Brett Kujala ’18 made history last week at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, leading Finland to an all-time best sixth place finish. Kujala put up impressive offensive numbers all tournament, averaging 9.0 points per game during the group stages and 5.3 points per game in the playoffs.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
After a string of three straight ties, the men’s soccer team (3-1-3, 0-1-3 NESCAC) got back to its winning ways with an emphatic 6-1 win at home over the University of Southern Maine (0-7-2).
OFFENSE IS THE BEST DEFENSE
The field hockey team cruised to a dominant victory at the University of Southern Maine on Tuesday. The entire Bowdoin defense put up a career day, not allowing a single shot over all four quarters.
BEARS, BEATS, BOBCAT-TLESTAR GALACTICA
The field hockey team held on to a 1-0 victory over Bates this past Wednesday, improving to 2-0 in NESCAC play. On a stormy afternoon, the Polar Bears dealt with poor conditions and sloshed through a rain-soaked turf field all game.
POLAR BEARS WEATHER THE STORM
The field hockey team opened its campaign with a win against the University of New England (UNE) in Biddeford this past Wednesday. Emma Stevens ’20 opened her scoring account with two goals against the Nor’easters, and Elle Brine ’20 added two assists in a convincing 4-0 victory.
SAILING TO VICTORY
Last weekend the sailing team battled fierce currents and bad weather as they competed in regattas in three different states. A four-person crew, consisting of Alden Grimes ’21, Rowan Byrne ’21, Kelsey Slack ’21 and Matt Safford ’20, won the Harman Trophy at the Penobscot Bay Open hosted by Maine Maritime Academy.
NEED SOME ASSISTANCE?
In a landslide victory, the men’s soccer team (1-0-0) defeated the University of New England (1-1-0) 4-0 on Tuesday in its first game of the season. Matty McColl ’19 set a new program record for assists in a single game, aiding all four Polar Bear goals.
Throwing it down: The men’s and women’s track and field teams raced to fourth and sixth, respectively, in the NESCAC Championship on Saturday at Trinity. John Pietro ’18 had a spectacular performance, winning both the shot put and hammer throw.
What legends: The College announced six inductees for the 2018 class of the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor, a biennial event founded in 2002 to remember individuals who have accomplished greatness in athletics. This year’s awardees are 1955-1983 track and field coach Frank Sabasteanski ’41, who also coached the Ghanaian national Olympic track team in 1964, defensive-back Dana Verrill ’74 who holds the Bowdoin record for interceptions in a season, national champion shot putter and offensive lineman Dick Leavitt ’76, softball, soccer and basketball star Christine Craig ’86, three-time all-NESCAC honoree field hockey and ice hockey stand-out Marissa O’Neil ’05 and the most decorated basketball player in program history, Eileen (Flaharty) Moore ’07.
Glidin’ on by: The crew team had a terrific weekend at the Knecht Cup in New Jersey, with six different teams winning medals. The First Novice Men won the gold ahead of Carnegie Mellon, who they had trailed coming out of their heat.
First one around: The men’s and women’s track and field teams opened their spring season at the Smith Pioneer Invitational with a dominating performance, winning 15 individual events and all four relays. Anne McKee ’20 won the 5000M by over 10 seconds with a time of 19:19.03, while Ben Torda ’18 won the 3000M steeplechase by over 30 seconds with a time of 10:03.86.
Sounds good: The sailing team competed in both the Lynn Marchiando Team Race at MIT and their only home regatta, the Harpswell Sound Team Race, this weekend. The team competed in five round robins at Harpswell Sound, finishing first and second with records of 10-5 and 9-6.
Queens of the track: The women’s distance medley relay team won by four seconds with a time of 11:37.18 at the NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field Championships. The team, consisting of Caroline Shipley ’20, Sara Ory ’19, Claire Traum ’21 and Sarah Kelley ’18, beat the school record by six seconds, becoming the first Bowdoin competitors to win a crown since 2014.
Saving the day: The women’s hockey team (13-8-3, NESCAC 6-7-3) upset Hamilton (13-8-4, NESCAC 9-4-3) in the NESCAC Quarterfinals 3-1 on Saturday. This replicates the result from last year’s quarterfinals, where the Polar Bears beat the Continentals 1-0 in double overtime.
Hitting the mark: The women’s squash team barely missed the Epps Cup at the CSA Team Nationals at Harvard this weekend, falling 5-4 to William Smith in the finals on Sunday. The match came down to the No.
WON’T SLOW DOWN: The women’s basketball team (23-1, NESCAC 9-1) completed its regular season after beating Wesleyan 88-51. The Polar Bears jumped into the lead early on, reaching 10-0 within 3:30 and five different players reached double-digits.
Running to glory: The men’s track and field team crushed the competition at the Maine State Meet on Sunday, finishing with a strong 223 points to beat second-place Bates by 43 points. This is the second first-place finish in three years for the team, who set the second highest point total in state indoor meet history.
Pucking it up: The women’s hockey team (9-6-1, NESCAC 3-6-1) swept the Wesleyan (5-9-4, 3-6-1) series this weekend in its first NESCAC series sweep of the season. The Polar Bears dominated the Cardinals 5-2 on Friday after coming out of the first quarter with a three point lead.
For the common good: Camil Blanchet ’18 was one of eleven athletes nominated for the 2018 Hockey Humanitarian Award, an award given annually to a college hockey player who contributes significantly to his team and to his community in general.
Hard hitting: The women’s squash team (2-2) split a pair of Saturday matches after losing to No. 26 Hamilton (1-3) 6-3 and then rebounding and beating Colgate (2-3) 8-1 the same day. Against Hamilton, the Polar Bears swept the top three positions, while the top seven positions all came away with 3-0 wins against Hamilton.
Squashing the Camels: The men’s and women’s squash teams came back from losses against Bates to beat Connecticut College 8-1 and 5-4 respectively on Sunday. All players in the top five positions on the men’s team gave Bowdoin points, contributing to Bowdoin’s ranking of 27th in the nation.
Shooting for the stars: After receiving an at-large bid for the NCAA DIII Championships, the men’s soccer team (10-4-4, NESCAC 6-2-2) ended their season after losing 3-2 in a penalty shootout against Rutgers-Newark (20-2-1). Despite controlling the ball for the majority of the game and edging the Scarlet Raiders out 12-10 in shots, Bowdoin was unable to score.
Passing the mark: The football team (0-8) lost to Bates (2-6) this weekend in a close 17-24 match this weekend, causing Bates to claim the Colby-Bowdoin-Bates championship title for the sixth time in a row. Noah Nelson ’19 ended the game 34-55 with the third-most passes thrown and the second-most passes completed in a game in Bowdoin history.
Saving shots: The men’s soccer team (10-3-3, NESCAC 6-2-2) had a dramatic win against Williams (8-3-5, NESCAC 3-3-4) on Saturday after the game went into a penalty shoot out. Levi Morant ’19 scored the first goal of the game in the 54th minute, but Williams tied the game up 25 minutes later.
Poised to kill:
This weekend, the women’s volleyball team (13-8, NESCAC 7-1) traveled to Amherst to compete in the Hall of Fame Tournament. The team swept the first two games against Wheaton and Coast Guard, but fell to Worcester Polytechnic Institute 3-2 on Saturday.
Sweeping the Court: The women’s volleyball team (11-7, NESCAC 7-1) celebrated homecoming weekend by sweeping their Saturday games against University of Maine-Presque Isle (11-16) and Middlebury (14-5, NESCAC 5-3). Caroline Flaharty ’20 ended the Middlebury game with 19 kills compared to Middlebury’s Becca Raffel’s 11.
Southern Love: Bowdoin men’s tennis team members Grant Urken ’19 and Luke Tercek ’18 won their first match in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Oracle Cup 1-6, 6-2, 10-6 against Adrien Bouchet and Will Wanner of Emory University in Rome, Georgia on Thursday.
Try, try, try again: The women’s rugby team (2-0) beat Sacred Heart 41-36 on Saturday. First year Hannah Zuklie scored the first try in her career and the first of the game to begin this high-scoring match.
Out for revenge: The women’s soccer team (1-2-1, NESCAC 0-2-1) began its weekend last Saturday with a 1-1 tie against Wesleyan (3-1-1, NESCAC 0-1-1) after goalie Rachel Stout ’18 made 10 saves compared to Wesleyan’s two.
Heading home: The women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Amherst (2-1, 1-0 NESCAC) in last Saturday’s NESCAC opener after the Purple and White scored in the 78th minute of the game. The team will play its first home game against Wesleyan (2-1, 0-1 NESCAC), who they beat 3-1 last season, on Saturday at noon.
Going for Gold. Over the summer, Bowdoin women’s basketball player Ally Silfen ’17 and field hockey player Sarah Jane Weill ’18 traveled to Jerusalem for the 20th Maccabiah Games—an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sport event held in Israel every four years.
Tournament time.
The women’s tennis team (13-4, 5-3 NESCAC) is seeded fifth heading into the first round of NESCAC playoffs this weekend where it will face No. 2 Wesleyan (11-3, 5-3 NESCAC). The Polar Bears hope to build off their recent success—an 8-1 win over Babson (10-8) and a 9-0 shutout over MIT (12-8) last weekend—as they go up against a strong Cardinal squad.
Smooth sailing.
The sailing team competed in two regattas last weekend. Finishing seventh out of 18 teams, the windless Admiral’s Cup significantly limited racing. At the Women’s New England Championship, the Polar Bears battled it out with Harvard, ultimately winning a tiebreaker against the Crimson to secure the final qualifying spot for Women’s Nationals.
Turning the tide.
The baseball team (11-12, 3-3 NESCAC) is currently on a five-game win streak after sweeping its weekend series against Trinity (13-12, 3-6 NESCAC) and beating Thomas (3-25) 11-4 on Monday. Brandon Lopez ’20 was named NESCAC Pitcher of the Week this week after tossing a full game against Trinity last Friday.
Straight shutouts.
The women’s tennis team is currently 10-2, 4-1 NESCAC after a 9-0 win over Connecticut College (6-5, 0-3 NESCAC) on Sunday. Despite injuries that have weakened the team’s roster, the Polar Bears have won three of their last four games—all dominant 9-0 shutouts—and are currently ranked fourth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III poll.
Cool as ice.
Kerri St. Denis ’19, goalie for the women’s ice hockey team, was named a New England Hockey Writers All-Star after an outstanding first season with the Polar Bears. With six shutouts on the season and a .954 save percentage that ranks second in the league, St.
Jumping for joy: Brian Greenberg ’18 represented the men’s indoor track and field team at the NCAA Division III Championship on March 11. Entering the competition seeded eighth in the triple jump, Greenberg jumped 14.36 meters to earn a sixth-place finish and All-American honors, making him Bowdoin’s first male All-American in the triple jump.
Track attack: Women’s and men’s indoor track and field competed at Open New England championships last weekend, putting forward a number of top-10 performances in a highly competitive pool of athletes. The women’s distance medley relay team continued their strong season, placing fourth with a time of 12:00.50, and Joseph Staudt ’19 broke his own Bowdoin record in the 60-meter hurdles again (8.21), placing fifth overall.
