Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Bowdoin College women's ice hockey team advanced to their second straight NESCAC Championship game following a 4-2 win over Colby on Saturday afternoon at Williams.
The Polar Bears redeemed and opening season sweep by the Mules and improve to 13-10-3. Colby ends its season at 10-14-2. Bowdoin is in search of its fourth NESCAC Championship, taking the title in 2002, '04, and '13.
The Polar Bears opened the NESCAC Semifinal action with a power play goal 4:41 into the first period. Digging the puck out of the corner, Rachel Kennedy took a shot that ricocheted off Brianne Wheeler to the weak side. Quickly collecting the loose puck, Schuyler Nardelli put it home from the back post to take the 1-0 lead. Colby closed out the period by capitalizing on a five-on-three advantage, with 16 seconds remaining in the frame. Controlling the puck beyond the red line, Megan Fortier flipped a shot that clipped Lan Crofton's shoulder and redirected into the net.
Colby took the lead off another five-on-three power play just under five minutes into the second period. Annie Papadellis centered a pass from the left side for Delaney Flynn directly in front of the crease. Flynn stuffed a quick shot into Crofton's pads and immediately collected the rebound for a put-back tally. Bowdoin scored the game's fourth power play goal in the 11th minute with Chelsea MacNeil grabbing a rebound in the right corner off the initial shot from Emily Tang.
MacNeil put the Polar Bears ahead for good halfway through the final period, receiving a feed from Aliya Feroe. Feroe intercepted a Colby pass behind the net and dished back up to MacNeil as she wrapped around the right post. Bowdoin's final tally came in the form of the game's fifth power play goal. Moving into the high slot Maddie Lane dropped a pass to Ariana Bourque in the right circle. Making a move around the defense, Bourque wristed a low shot to the short side sealing the Bowdoin win.
Wheeler made 24 stops in net for the Mules, with Crofton collected 18 saves for the Polar Bears.
Bowdoin will face Williams tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in the NESCAC Championship game. The Ephs defeated Connecticut College 2-0 to advance. Sunday's final will feature a pair of Bowdoin alumns coaching on either side, with former teammates Marissa O'Neil '05 and Meghan Gillis '07 facing off.
