In a battle to maintain a perfect record, the fourth-ranked women’s field hockey team traveled to Bowdoin on Saturday to take on the second-ranked Polar Bears. Although Middlebury put up a solid effort, they were unable to beat the Polar Bears and surrendered their undefeated record in a 2-1 loss. Annie Leonard ’18, the only Panther to score in Saturday’s match-up, offered her thoughts on the game and credited Middlebury’s opponent for playing well.
“Bowdoin is a great team,” Leonard said,.“And going in we knew that it would be a tough game. We played hard, and there were some great things to take away from the game, but unfortunately it wasn’t the result we wanted,” she added.
Both teams started off strong, and for most of the first half remained even, trading possession and shot opportunities. With just six seconds left in the half, Bowdoin was able to capitalize on a scoring opportunity, and put the Polar Bears up 1-0 when Rachel Kennedy snuck a ball in past Middlebury goalkeeper Emily Miller ’17.
The second half played out similarly to the first, with back-and-forth possessions between the two teams, as the Panthers fought to find the equalizing goal. With the clock winding down, Middlebury was finally able to put one in when Leonard capitalized on a corner. Jillian Green ’16 passed the ball in to Leonard with 10:57 remaining on the clock, and Leonard sent the shot in from the top of the circle for her fourth goal of the season.
“With ten minutes left and down a goal,” Leonard said, “there was a sense of urgency to score. Coach made a great corner call, Jillian Green made the perfect pass, and I was fortunate enough to be in the right position to make a play.”
Although the Polar Bears were awarded two corners in the final ten minutes, Middlebury was able to successfully defend their goal and keep the game tied at 1-1.
The final minutes of the game proved quite thrilling, as Panther goalie Miller made a split save to defend a Bowdoin one-on-one opportunity, and keep the game tied. However, the Polar Bears were awarded a second penalty stroke, and Kennedy scored her second goal of the day when she sent the ball in past Miller in the 66th minute to secure the 2-1 victory.
Bowdoin outshot the Panthers 24-8, with Miller making ten saves and Bowdoin goalie Clara Belitz recording three stops in the Polar Bear win. Middlebury successfully defended 17 Bowdoin corners, while Bowdoin edged the Panthers 17-10 in corner opportunities.
Conference play will resume on Saturday for Middlebury, when the Panthers host the Colby Mules for a NESCAC match-up at 12:00 pm.
