BRUNSWICK — Colin Downey and Harry Matheson scored first-period goals and top-seeded Bowdoin held on for a 2-1 victory over No. 2 Williams in the championship game of the NESCAC men’s hockey tournament on Sunday.

Bowdoin (22-3-2) clinched an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament – its third bid in four years – and will host UMass-Dartmouth at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Downey opened the scoring at 11:46 with a power-play goal. Matheson made it 2-0 with four seconds left in the period.

The Ephs (17-7-3) cut into the deficit just over a minute into the third period but would get no closer thanks to Bowdoin goalie Max Fenkell. Fenkell had 23 saves, including two key stops during a Williams power play with less than six minutes left.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

BOWDOIN 2, MIDDLEBURY 1: Colleen Finnerty scored the winner at 2:49 of the third period, and the No. 2 Polar Bears (21-4-2) clinched a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament with a win over the No. 1 Panthers (18-7-2) in the championship game of the NESCAC tournament at Middlebury, Vt.

Chelsea MacNeil started the scoring for Bowdoin just 58 seconds into the game. Lauren Greer tied it for the Panthers on a power play 10 minutes later.

Kayla Lessard made 24 saves for the Polar Bears.

Bowdoin’s next opponent will be announced Monday.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

NEW HAMPSHIRE 79, MAINE 74: Ferg Myrick hit a go-ahead free throw with 32 seconds left and finished with 27 points as the Wildcats (9-19, 5-11 America East) edged the Black Bears (11-18, 6-10) in a regular-season finale at Durham, N.H.

New Hampshire trailed 72-69 with two minutes left, but got a 3-pointer from Chandler Rhoads and a jumper from Chris Matagrano to take a 74-72 lead.

Mike Allison responded with a tying layup for Maine with 47 seconds left, only to have UNH pull back ahead behind Myrick’s two foul shots.

Justin Edwards scored 29 points for Maine. Alasdair Fraser added 22 points and Allison grabbed 12 boards.

BASEBALL

MAINE 6, ST. LOUIS 1: Colin Gay hit a two-run double to spark a six-run seventh inning for the Black Bears (6-6) in a win over the Billikens (7-4) at Port Charlotte, Fla. 

USM 6, OLD WESTBURY 0: Logan Carmen and Andrew Richards combined on a five-hitter as the Huskies (2-0) beat the Panthers (3-3) at Yaphank, N.Y.

Forrest Chadwick had a pair of hits, including a home run, with three runs scored and two RBI for the Huskies.

SOFTBALL

FLORIDA GULF COAST 8, MAINE 0: Chelsea Zgrabik hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Eagles (12-5) downed the Black Bears (1-8) in five innings at Clearwater, Fla.

Emj Fogel, Jean Stevens and Hilary Kane singled for Maine.

MEN’S LACROSSE

SKIDMORE 12, BATES 11: Rob Highland scored three goals to lead the Bobcats (0-1) in a loss to the Thoroughbreds (1-1) at Cambridge, Mass.

 

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