BOX
SCORE
BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College field hockey team scored
three times in the first 13 minutes and staved off a late rally by
Bates to take a 5-2 win in a NESCAC Quarterfinal match on Sunday.
The second-seeded Polar Bears (13-2) are the three-time defending
NESCAC Champions and will face third-seeded Middlebury in the
NESCAC semifinals on Saturday, November 8 at Tufts University.
Bates ends their 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.
Photos courtesy of Brian Beard and Creative Images
Photography.
