Box Score AMHERST, Mass. – After 110 minutes of scoreless action, two outstanding saves by Stevie Van Siclen allowed sixth-seeded Bowdoin College to secure a 5-4 victory in the penalty kick shootout and win the 2014 NESCAC title on Sunday afternoon at Hitchcock Field.
Bowdoin (9-6-3), which hadn't appeared in the conference tournament title game since 2010, won its first NESCAC crown after advancing on its second-straight PK decision. The Polar Bears defeated Middlebury College, 3-2 in PKs following a scoreless draw in the semifinals before winning the championship in similar fashion. The victory ends Amherst's (13-1-4) run of three-straight NESCAC titles.
Bowdoin earns the NESCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and will make its first appearance since 2010. The NCAA selection show set for 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10.
After battling to a 0-0 tie through 110 minutes of action, the teams entered the penalty shootout round. Austin Downing made the first attempt for Bowdoin, and Van Siclen made a save to give Bowdoin a 1-0 lead. Bowdoin's Matt Dias Costa and Amherst's Nico Pascual-Leone each converted to set the score at 2-1 in favor of the Polar Bears, before Jeffs' keeper Thomas Bull turned away Eric Goitia, and Amherst senior Gabriel Wirz scored to tie the shootout at 2-2. Sam Ward and Kiefer Solarte each made their next shots for Bowdoin, and Bubba Van Wie and Milton Rico each converted for Amherst, leveling the score at 4-4. Thomas Henshall found the back of the net to give the Polar Bears a 5-4 lead before Van Siclen smothered the ensuing shot by Amherst's Mikey Hoeksema to clinch the title.
In a well-balanced contest, both sides totaled six shots in the first half as Van Siclen was called upon to make one save, while Bull made a pair of stops for the Jeffs in the first 45 minutes. Andrew Orozco had the best opportunity of the half to score when Pascual-Leone played a corner kick to him in the 19th minute, but his shot went over the crossbar. Sam White and Henshall each fired shots on target in the half, but Bull was there to keep the game knotted at 0-0 with two sure-handed saves.
In the second half, Amherst applied pressure, owning a 6-2 differential in shots, including a shot that hit the post off the foot of Pascual-Leone, and the rebounded effort from Bryce Ciambella which sailed just wide of the target – both in the 77th minute.
In the 85th minute, Bowdoin had a corner kick opportunity which Ward delivered into the six-yard box, but Orozco was there to head the ball away.
In the first overtime, Pascual-Leone sent a corner kick into the box for Cameron Bean, whose header fell off target, keeping the score at 0-0 through 100 minutes of play.
In the second stanza of extra time, Pascual-Leone sent a shot high, and Van Wie had a shot sail wide, and had another blocked, before Bean was again in the middle of the box with a header, but Van Siclen collected the ball and cleared the danger, sending the game to the decisive shootout.
Bull and Van Siclen each finished with three saves in 110 minutes of action. Van Siclen recorded his sixth clean sheet of the 2014 campaign.
Bowdoin was making its third appearance in the title match and had lost in regulation (2003 to Williams) and in penalty kicks (2010 to Middlebury). The Polar Bears are the lowest seed to win the NESCAC Tournament since Wesleyan claimed the crown as a seven seed in 2005.
Photos courtesy of Rob Mattson/Amherst College
