BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin field hockey team jumped out to a three goal lead in the opening half of Saturday afternoon's NCAA second round matchup as the Polar Bears eliminated Keene State with a 5-1 showing.

The top-ranked Polar Bears (19-0) defeated the Owls (17-8) for the second time in program history. Bowdoin and Keene State faced each other in the 2011 NCAA tournament, with the Polar Bears coming out on top.

How It Happened

• Bowdoin got on the board early as Kimmy Ganong stuffed in a rebound off the pads of Meaghan Dwyer 6:23 into the game. Dwyer made the initial save on a shot by Rachel Kennedy, but Ganong waited on pads to put away the loose ball.
• Keene State answered quickly with a goal from Sami Smith four minutes later. The ball came bouncing into the circle through a pair of defenders, with Smith connecting on a sweep to expedite its progress and best Bowdoin keeper Clara Belitz.
• The Keene defense shut down Bowdoin for ten minutes, denying five shots and a pair of corners, before Ganong found the back off the net off a broken corner feed from Kelsey Mullaney.
• Liz Znamierowski made it 3-1 in favor of Bowdoin with 10:32 to play in the first half following another broken corner. Dwyer sent a rebound towards the left side of the circle where Kelsey Bumgardner collected the ball and looked toward the far post. Znamierowski tipped in the cross for Bowdoin's third of the game.
• Kennedy successfully converted on a stroke in the final four minutes to give Bowdoin the 4-1 lead.
• Kennedy tallied an assist on Bowdoin's final goal of the game 22 minutes into the second half as she set up Sarah Jane Weill. Kennedy carried down the right side of the circle, working her way through a pair of defenders, before flipping a ball on pads where Weill got her stick out for a redirect to the right post.
• Bowdoin outshot the Owls by a 30-2 margin, with Dwyer stopping 15 shots for the visitors. Gwendolyn Thayer came in to play the final 18:53 in net for Keene State and recorded a save. Casi Smith and Paige Hefferan each recorded a defensive save for the Owls. Belitz made one stop for Bowdoin.
• The Polar Bears held a 12-1 edge in penalty corners.

Up Next

• Bowdoin faces Wellesley in the NCAA Quarterfinals tomorrow afternoon on Ryan Field at 1:00 p.m.