Courtesy Bowdoin/Tufts Sports Information

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Senior forward Lindsay McNamara scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime to lift the Bowdoin College field hockey team to their second-consecutive NCAA Division III Championship on Sunday, 3-2 over Tufts. The Polar Bears are just the fourth school in Division III history to win consecutive national championships.

The goal capped an outstanding NCAA Championship game between the NESCAC rivals, who were meeting for the third time this year. On the game-winning play, Bowdoin intercepted a Tufts clearing attempt and moved the ball around to first-year Katie Herter. She flipped a shot that Tufts first-year goalkeeper Marianna Zak batted away with her glove. McNamara, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Tournament play, came across the goalmouth and used a back-handed tap to put the rebound into the cage.

The NCAA Championship game was the rubber match between the teams this season. Tufts had won the first meeting 4-3 on Halloween to finish a 9-0 NESCAC season and earn the #1 seed in the conference tournament. Bowdoin scored a 1-0 victory in the conference championship game nine days later. After both won NCAA semi-final contests on Saturday, the teams battled closely in the first double overtime national championship final since 1988.

Tufts shocked Bowdoin with the quickest goal that the Polar Bears had allowed all season, with Tamara Brown deflecting a shot over the shoulder of Emileigh Mercer to give the Jumbos a 1-0 lead just 1:13 into the contest. It didn't take long for Bowdoin to respond, as Madeleine McQueeney put home a rebound of a Kara Kelley shot at 2:38 to tie the game at one apiece.

Eight minutes later, another shot by Kelly bounced off the pads of Tufts goaltender Marianna Zak and to the waiting stick of Shavonne Lord. Lord slapped home the loose ball at 10:33 to give Bowdoin a 2-1 advantage. The Polar Bears out-shot Tufts 8-2 in the opening half, but couldn't find the back of the net again and carried the one-goal lead into the break.

Tufts upped the offensive pressure in the second period, and had a series of three consecutive penalty corners. Brittany Holiday had a pair of fantastic chances on the doorstep, but Mercer proved up to the task, making a pair of spectacular saves - including one with the blocker to maintain Bowdoin's one-goal lead.

Midway through the second period, Tufts was finally able to deadlock the score as a turnover led to a breakaway for the Jumbos. Michelle Kelly found Brown open on the left wing, and Brown slipped the ball under the pads of Mercer to tie the score with 21:06 remaining.

The Jumbos had a great chance with under five minutes to play, garnering a pair of penalty corner chances. Mercer made a good leg-pad save on a shot by Brown to keep the game tied. The Jumbos continued to apply pressure, getting another corner and Mercer made another strong kick-save off a chance by Margi Scholtes with 2:30 remaining to force overtime.

Back-and-forth play in the first overtime saw Mercer and Zak make consecutive nice saves to keep the game scoreless. Bowdoin's best chance came with seconds remaining in the opening OT, but Lindsay McNamara's shot from the top of the circle hit the post and the game entered a second overtime period.

McNamara and her senior teammates close out their careers as one of finest classes in Division III field hockey history. The eight-member class of McNamara, Tamlyn Frederick, Kate Gormley, Madeleine McQueeney, Julia King, Leah Ferenc, Kristen Veiga and Emileigh Mercer finish with an overall record of 74-5, a 21-2 postseason record, four NESCAC Championships and a pair of NCAA crowns.

Individually, the goal proved to be the perfect ending to McNamara's collegiate career. Her final goal of the season was her 32nd this year, the 92nd of her career and undoubtedly the most important for the school's all-time leading goal scorer. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by Mercer, Leah Ferenc and Kara Kelley for Bowdoin. Brown, Scholtes and sophomore Amanda Roberts were named to the All-Tournament team for Tufts.

The Polar Bears join the College of New Jersey (1990-91, '95-'96), Cortland State (1993-94) and Salisbury University (2003-05) as the only schools to win repeat NCAA crowns in field hockey.

Tufts was playing in just the second NCAA Championship Game in school history. Womens soccer advanced to the NCAA final against the College of New Jersey in 2000, losing 2-1. The Jumbos, who defeated Messiah College 5-2 in the national semifinals on Saturday, finished with a 19-2 record. Bowdoin, which beat host Ursinus 3-2 in Saturdays other semifinal to set up an all-NESCAC championship, also finished at 19-2.