AMHERST, Mass. - The Bowdoin College women's rugby team opened their 2008 campaign with a 3-1 record at the Beantown Tournament in Amherst, Massachusetts this weekend. The Polar Bears, who entered the finals unscored-upon, had to forfeit the championship match to Wellesley due to lack of available players. The result did not put a damper on the weekend as the Polar Bears, when playing at full-strength, blanked three-straight opponents and made a powerful statement to open the season.

Bowdoin opened the weekend by thumping Plymouth State University, 48-0. Bowdoin led 21-0 at halftime thanks to scores from Alivia Moore, Erica Camarena and Carolyn Levin. Moore, Becky Stevens added second-half scores while Loryn Fridie notched a trio of tries to close out the win.

In their second match Saturday evening, Bowdoin claimed a nail-biter against Amherst, 3-0. A defensive struggle between a pair of well-matched teams came down to the foot of Stevens, who booted a penalty kick to provide the margin of victory.

In the semifinals Sunday, Bowdoin used a pair of penalty kicks from Stevens to beat rival Bates, 6-0. The win advanced Bowdoin to the finals of the tournament against Wellesley on Sunday afternoon, but the Polar Bears lost several players who needed to travel back to Bowdoin for work and studies on Sunday afternoon and surrendered a 5-0 forfeit to Wellesley.

Bowdoin will begin their NERFU regular season slate next weekend with a match at Colby Saturday at 1:00.