BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College men's lacrosse team used a big third quarter to regain the lead and held off a late Hamilton rally to capture a high-scoring 17-16 win over the Continentals on Saturday afternoon at Whittier Field. The 14^th-ranked Polar Bears pick up their first win of the season and move to 1-1 (1-1 NESCAC) while the Continentals fall to 1-2 (0-2 NESCAC).
 
Game Highlights

• After a Hamilton goal gave the visitors an early edge, Bowdoin rolled off five straight scores – from five different players – to take a 5-1 edge early in the second quarter.
• Hamilton took advantage of a pair of Bowdoin penalties, including a two-minute, locked-in infraction late in the second frame, to roll off an 8-2 run over a 12-minute span, including four man-up tallies, to take a 9-7 advantage.
• Jason Lach scored late in the second quarter to cut the Hamilton lead to 9-8 at the break.
• Bowdoin came out firing in the third quarter as Lach scored again, sparking a 4-0 surge over a five-minute stretch, to give the Polar Bears a 12-9 lead.
• Bowdoin maintained a 13-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and held off a number of Hamilton rallies to clinch the victory.
• The Continentals cut the Polar Bear lead to a single goal on three occasions, but goals by Ethan Barnard and Sam Raye-Steiner gave Bowdoin breathing room late in the contest, and a key late faceoff win by Barnard allowed the Polar Bears to run out the clock.

By The Numbers

• Ethan Barnard scored twice, won 22 of 31 faceoffs, and collected 11 ground balls in the win for Bowdoin.
• Jason Lach scored a team-high four goals while Patrick Fitzgerald added three.
• Sam Raye-Steiner had three goals and an assist while Will Byrne sparked the offense with four assists.
• Harp Lane had a pair of caused turnovers for Bowdoin while Zack Goorno had seven ground balls and two assists in the winning effort.
• Goaltender Robert Hobbs made 14 saves for the Polar Bears.

Up Next

• Bowdoin heads to Tampa, Fla., next week for a pair of games, beginning with a contest against Western New England at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.