Bowdoin Downs Bates 5-2 in Field Hockey Quarterfinals
Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information
BRUNSWICK, Maine - Defending NESCAC and NCAA champion Bowdoin scored three times in the first 13 minutes and staved off a late rally by Bates to take a 5-2 win in the quarterfinals of the 2008 NESCAC Field Hockey Championship on Sunday. The second-seeded Polar Bears (13-2) will face third-seeded Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday, November 8 at Tufts at 1:30 p.m. Bates ends its season with a record of 6-9.
Bowdoin wasted little time taking control of Sunday's contest, scoring twice in the first four minutes. Kara Kelley ripped a shot from the point off a penalty corner opportunity at 32:54 before Madeleine McQueeney put back a rebound off a Shavonne Lord shot at 32:07 to give the Polar Bears a two-goal edge. Ten minnutes later, a nifty give-and-go between Lindsay McNamara and Julia King set up Lord, who found the back of the net at 21:46 to give the hosts a three-goal lead.
Bates cut into the Polar Bear lead just moments later off a penalty corner, when Annie Wilson found Morgan Maciewicz, who blasted a shot from the top of the circle that tucked inside the left post at the 20-minute mark. After Bowdoin carried their 3-1 edge through intermission, the Bobcats chipped away at the lead in the second period, as Abby Childs converted a penalty corner feed from Jenna Dannis with 22:07 remaining, trimming the advantage to 3-2.
The Polar Bears responded, however, as Lindsay McNamara regained the two-goal edge when she put home a feed from Kate Gormley on the doorstep with 13:49 left. With under eight minutes to play, Kate Gormley centered a pass to Lord, whose diving attempt redirected the ball past Bates netminder Katie McEnroe to close out the scoring.
Katie McEnroe made four saves in net for Bates, while Emileigh Mercer and Emily Neilson split time in goal for the Polar Bears without recording a save. Bowdoin held a 21-6 edge in shots, with many chances sailing wide of the net. The Polar Bears have won their last 24 games against Bates, dating back to 1986.
Bowdoin will face a familiar foe in the NESCAC Semifinals. The Polar Bears have played Middlebury six times in the last three seasons, including the 2006 and '07 NESCAC Championship games and '07 NCAA Championship, with Bowdoin winning each time. Specific gametimes will be announced on Monday, but the teams will play the late semifinal game on November 7.
