BRUNSWICK – There was no way the Lebanon Valley field hockey team was going to stop Ingrid Oelschlager from getting to the NCAA Final Four.

In overtime Sunday, the Bowdoin senior took her own rebound and drilled it past Lebanon Valley goalkeeper Christine Poletti to give the Polar Bears a 4-3 win.

“(Oelschlager) was pushing up all game,” Bowdoin Coach Nicky Pearson said. “She was playing with an attitude like, ‘Pass me the ball. I want to make a difference.’ “

Did she ever. If Bowdoin wasn’t going to win pretty, persistence was the theme in Sunday’s game played on Bowdoin’s Ryan Field.

Early in the overtime, Poletti made an outstanding save to stop Oelschlager and keep the Flying Dutchmen (19-3) alive. But Oelschlager and the Polar Bears (18-1) just kept coming at the Dutchmen —  Bowdoin had 19 shots on goal to Lebanon Valley’s four.

Oelschlager had seven of those attempts.

But she didn’t do it alone. After Oelschlager opened the scoring to stake Bowdoin a 1-0 lead in the first half, Kassey Matoin and Emily French scored as Bowdoin took a 3-1 lead 25 minutes into the game.

Pearson, who coached Bowdoin’s 2007 and 2008 Division III champions, wasn’t comfortable with the two-goal lead.

“Lebanon Valley has a very good offensive game. I didn’t think it would be a one-nil game,” she said. “Even though we had the lead, I was concerned.”

The Dutchmen gave plenty to worry about as Cait Eckenrode scored in the 28th minute and Marisa Maxwell opened the second half with a goal to tie the game at 3-all.

But the Polar Bears stuck with their winning approach: Keep pelting the other team with shots.

It’s an approach that’s served Bowdoin well. The Polar Bears are heading to Christopher Newport University in Virginia on Saturday to face Skidmore in the NCAA semifinals.

It’s the fifth time in six years the Polar Bears have been to the semifinals. Ursinus and Messiah will play in the other semifinal Saturday.

With a wealth of experience in big games, Pearson said she hopes her Polar Bears realize their next two games will be just as tough as Sunday’s win over Lebanon Valley.

“The juniors and seniors have experienced this before, so I’m hoping that they will provide confidence and reassurance to the younger players that we can do well,” Pearson said.

 

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