BOX
SCORE
MEDFORD, Mass. - Bowdoin senior Lindsay McNamara scored two
goals, and classmate Julia King added a goal and an assist, as the
#4 ranked Bowdoin College field hockey team rolled to a 4-0 win
against #6 Middlebury College on Saturday afternoon in the NESCAC
Tournament semifinals at Tufts University's Bello Field.
The Polar Bears (14-2), the second seed in NESCAC's, will
now play for their fifth conference title, and fourth in a row,
against Tufts on Sunday at noon. The Jumbos were 1-0 winners in
overtime against Trinity in Saturday's other semi-final.
Middlebury (13-3), the #3 seed, awaits a potential at-large berth
into the NCAA Tournament.
With the two goals today, McNamara breaks her own Bowdoin record
for goals in a single-season with 28 (her previous mark of 27 was
set last season). Bowdoin has now won eight straight over
Middlebury, including victories over the Panthers in each of the
past three NESCAC tournaments.
King was the catalyst when the Polar Bears gained a 2-0 lead in
the first half. She assisted on the first Polar Bear goal by
McNamara with 10:58 on the clock. King then deflected a free hit by
sophomore Shannon Malloy into the cage with 4:55 to go until
halftime.
Middlebury did not have a shot on goal in the first half as
Bowdoin took the two-goal advantage into the break. Panther senior
goalkeeper Caitlin Pentifallo made five saves in the first 35
minutes, as shots were 10-4 in favor of Bowdoin overall for the
period.
About four minutes into the second half, Bowdoin scored on a
one-timer goal by McNamara for a 3-0 advantage. Ten minutes later,
confusion around the Middlebury cage left the ball out in the open
for Bowdoin's Madeleine McQueeney to swat in for a 4-0
margin.
The Panthers came to life later in the second half, earning a
10-5 margin in shots for the period. Bowdoin sophomore goalkeeper
Emily Neilson, who entered at halftime, made four saves to preserve
the shutout with starter Emileigh Mercer. Due to the late
Middlebury surge, shots were close with Bowdoin totaling a 15-14
advantage for the game. The Polar Bears also had a slim 7-6 tally
in penalty corners. Pentifallo stopped seven shots total in the
Panther goal.
