BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College men's soccer team scored three times in the second half to rally for a 3-1 victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Saturday at Pickard Field. The Polar Bears (12-1-4) advance to Sunday's second round against the winner of Babson/Vassar at 1:00 p.m. The Mariners end their year with a record of 11-5-6.
 
Game Highlights

• Bowdoin dominated the opening half and came close to scoring the game's first tally with 15 minutes remaining when Tyler Huck played a beautiful cross to the back post where Carlton Steinburg tapped it in. The play was called for offsides as the game remained scoreless.
• Moments later, as Bowdoin was playing the ball through their backline, a back-pass to netminder Michael Webber skipped across the grass in the box and past the Polar Bear goaltender, into the empty goal for an own-goal and 1-0 lead for USMMA in the 34^th minute.  
• Mariner goaltender Ashton Carey made three first-half saves as the visitors entered halftime with a surprising one-goal advantage.
• The Polar Bears opened the second half with more urgency and it paid off with two goals in a span of two minutes early in the frame to take the lead.
• The first goal came on a nice cross from Felipe Rueda Duran into the box, where it bounced through a few defenders to Minseo Bae, who finished off the scrum in front to tie the game in the 58^th minute.
• Just two minutes later, Bowdoin took the lead for good on a free kick from Harry Cooper, who struck a laser to the top-left corner to give the Polar Bears a 2-1 edge.
• With USMMA pushing to tie the game, Bowdoin converted on a corner kick with ten minutes remaining to put the game away. Cooper played a curling cross into the box, where it skipped through traffic to Julia Juantorena on the back post and a 3-1 Polar Bear lead.

By The Numbers

• Bowdoin finished with a 12-8 advantage in shots in the game and had four corner kicks to two for U.S. Merchant Marine.
• Michael Webber was credited with four saves while Ashton Carey made five for USMMA.
• The regulation win was the first in NCAA play for Bowdoin since a 1-0 win over Plattsburgh in the 2015 Tournament.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will face the winner of Vassar/Babson in the second round of the tournament on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.