BOX SCORE
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 (19-2) are
just the fourth school in Division III history to win consecutive
national championships.
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.
Bowdoin continued to pressure the goal in the second overtime and
it paid off, as Katie Herter wristed a shot off of Zak and Lindsay
McNamara pounced on the rebound, deflecting the ball into the cage
for the national-championship winning score.
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 also
finishes as the all-time leading goal scorer in NCAA Division III
Tournament play. McNamara was joined on the All-Tournament team by
Mercer, Leah Ferenc and Kara Kelley for Bowdoin.
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. Sunday's contest was the third this season between the
NESCAC rivals, as the squads split the first two meetings. Tufts'
(19-2) only losses this year were to Bowdoin.
