BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin field hockey team opened NCAA Tournament play with a 9-0 first round win over visiting Eastern Connecticut State University on Wednesday evening.
 
The Polar Bears (15-4) return to the national post-season stage for the first time since 2015. The Warriors (14-6) earned the program's first appearance in the tournament after clinching the Little East Conference title.
 
Game Highlights

• Jill Cloonan had a first quarter hat trick to put the Polar Bears ahead 3-0.
• Maya Malenfant scored just 21 seconds into the second frame, continuing the momentum from the first.
• Bowdoin went into halftime up 6-0 after Claudia Kriz scored back-to-back goals within four minutes to close out the second quarter.
• The Polar Bears tacked on two more in the third off the sticks of Olivia Cunningham and Sophia Rutman. Aubrey Demurjian scored the game's final goal with ten minutes to play.

 
By the Numbers

• Bowdoin held a 21-2 edge in shots and held a 6-1 corner advantage.
• All three Bowdoin goalies played with Delaney Bashaw making a pair of saves in the final nine minutes.
• Sarah Gallagher made eight saves in net for the Warriors.
• The win marks the most goals scored by the Polar Bears in a single NCAA Tournament game. Bowdoin had previously tallied six goals in a pair of games against Babson and SUNY New Paltz.

 
Up Next

• The Polar Bears will play Centre College at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.