Bowdoin Picks Up 5-1 Win Against Middlebury in Women's Soccer First Round
Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College women's soccer team advanced to the NESCAC Semifinals for the fifth straight season, defeating Middlebury on Sunday in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament, 5-1. The third-seeded Polar Bears (10-4-1) will face fifth seed Bates College next Saturday at Tufts University. The Bobcats advanced with a 1-0 victory at Williams. The Panthers see their season come to an end with a mark of 7-6-2.
A four-goal first-half put the contest out of reach as Bowdoin dominated from the opening kickoff. The Polar Bears got on the board just 47 seconds into the game as a pass into the box was collected by Kat Whitley, who blasted a shot over the arms of Panther netminder Natasha Groblewski for a 1-0 lead. Bowdoin increased their lead later in the half when Ann Zeigler ripped a shot from the left side of the box that Groblewski was able to tip, but the ball skipped behind the Middlebury goaltender and over the goal-line for a 2-0 lead at 24:24. Under five minutes later, Zeigler centered a ball to Elizabeth Battin, who tucked a shot inside the left post to make it 3-0. Alison Chase rounded out the scoring in the half with a tally at 44:58 to the upper right-hand corner of the net to give the Polar Bears a commanding four-goal lead at intermission.
The Panthers were able to get a
goal back late in the second half when Carly Berger played a
direct-kick into the box that found the toe of Erin Pittenger.
Pittenger tipped the ball past Bowdoin's Kat Popoff to make it 4-1.
Claire Cutting closed out the day with another goal for Bowdoin at
88:53, hitting a low shot inside the right post to make it a
5-1 final.
Anna Shapell (nine saves, no goals) and Kat Popoff (one save, one goal) split time in net for the Polar Bears. Groblewski collected eight saves in the loss for the Panthers.
