KELSEY BUMGARDNER of Bowdoin sends a pass across the turf. The Polar Bears downed Amherst in their NESCAC opener on Saturday, 3-0, on Ryan Field in Brunswick.
The Bowdoin College field hockey team scored early goals in each half of Saturday’s New England Small College Athletic Conference opener to down visiting Amherst, 3-0 on Ryan Field.
The second-ranked Polar Bears improved to 2-0 while tallying their first NESCAC victory of the year. Amherst sits at 1-1 (0-1 NESCAC) after opening the season on Thursday with a win over Mount Holyoke.
BOWDOIN’S Mettler Growney, above, sends a pass by the stick of Amherst’s Sydney Watts during a New England Small College Athletic Conference game at Ryan Field in Brunswick on Saturday. The Polar Bears moved to 2-0 on the season with a 3-0 win. To the left, Bowdoin midfielder Wilson MacMillan launches a free kick during Saturday’s NESCAC match with visiting Amherst. The Polar Bears fell, 1-0.
With the final seconds of the first half ticking down, Bowdoin developed a 2-on-1 breakaway on the right side. Amherst’s Emily Horwitz dove to breakup the play at the top of the circle as time expired, holding the Polar Bears to two at the half.
But, Elizabeth Bennewitz scored in her second consecutive game, firing off a shot from the top of the circle on a corner 4:12 into the second half for a 3-0 Bowdoin lead.
Bennewitz nearly added her third goal of the season midway through the half on a similar play, but connected with the left post. The ball bounced back into the circle where Elle Brine flicked a shot blocker side on Horwitz, but the senior goalie denied the bid.
The Polar Bears held a 16- 5 shot advantage, with a 7-3 edge in corners.
Horwitz made eight stops in net. Clara Belitz made three saves in 65 minutes of play for Bowdoin before Liz Rill came in to complete the shutout.
Bowdoin returns to action with another NESCAC matchup, hosting Bates on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.
Men’s soccer
Weller Hlinomaz scored the game’s only goal early in the second half to lift top-ranked Amherst to a narrow 1-0 win over Bowdoin on Saturday at Pickard Field.
In a matchup between the defending national champs (Amherst) and defending NESCAC champions (Bowdoin), the Purple and White improved to 2-0 (1-0 NESCAC), while the Polar Bears fell to 1-1 (0-1 NESCAC).
The teams traded good chances in a back-and-forth scoreless first half . Sam Ward had Bowdoin’s best opportunity 10 minutes into the game with a shot from just outside the box that was saved by Amherst’s Lee Owen.
Stevie Van Siclen returned the favor in goal for Bowdoin, making five first-half saves, including a diving stop off the foot of Bryce Ciambella with just two minutes remaining before the break.
Amherst continued to pressure the Bowdoin goal early in the second half and finally converted off a throw-in less than two minutes into the frame. A long throw-in from the sideline deflected off a Bowdoin defender’s head and into the middle of the penalty area where it bounced between legs to the foot of Hlinomaz, who toed the ball past Van Siclen at 46:27.
Bowdoin tried to mount a rally, but failed to find the equalizer despite holding a 3-0 edge in corner kicks in the second half. Amherst’s Owen finished with five saves, including three in the second half, while Van Siclen ended with nine in the setback for Bowdoin, which visits the University of Southern Maine on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Bowdoin opened its season with a busy weekend of action at the MIT Invitational at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.
On Friday, the Polar Bears, ranked 23rd in the AVCA Division III poll, defeated the hosts, 3-0, and Babson, 3-1.
Against Babson, the Polar Bears recovered from a first-set loss to take a 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-20 victory.
Bowdoin dominated the second and third sets, hitting at a .433 percentage to take the lead before clinching it in the fourth. Sydney Salle put home 13 kills, while Erika Sklaver and Caroline Flaharty had 11 kills each to lead the offense. Quincy Leech dished out 30 assists, while Katie Doherty earned 19 digs and delivered four service aces in the victory.
In the match with Brandeis, Bowdoin blanked the judges by set scores of 25-22, 25-21, 25-17. Khelsea Gordon had a career-high nine kills to spark the attack, while Leech and Sklaver had six kills apiece. Leech also had 20 assists and 14 digs in the victory, while Flaharty and Doherty had three service aces each.
Bowdoin returned to action on Saturday, defeating Roger Williams, 3-2, before falling to MIT, 3-0. The Polar Bears finished the first weekend of the season with a 3-1 mark.
In the opener, Bowdoin rallied for a 2-1 set deficit, taking the match 25-27, 25-18, 24-26, 25-18, 15-11.
Flaharty led the way for the Polar Bears with 15 kills and eight digs.
MIT rolled to a 25-12, 26-24, 25-11 win in the second match.
Sklaver finished with seven kills while Leech and Gordon had six each.
Bowdoin visits rival Colby on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Women’s soccer
Amherst captured a 2-1 overtime victory at Bowdoin on Saturday afternoon after both teams put up first-half goals.
The Polar Bears (1-1, 0-1 NESCAC) fell behind visiting Amherst ( 2- 0, 1- 0 NESCAC) early in the opening half, but responded seven minutes later with an equalizer that held until the 98th minute.
Amherst took the 1- 0 lead 7: 38 into the game, capitalizing on a corner kick. Delancey King lined up the corner kick from the right side, hitting Emily Hester for a header that ricocheted off the crossbar and into Bowdoin’s net.
The Polar Bears evened the game seven minutes later, forcing the eventual overtime. Brigit Bergin set up Emma Beane for her first collegiate goal. Bergin crossed the ball into the box where Beane fired a shot top left corner off her right foot.
King nearly gave Amherst a lead midway through the second half as she launched a free kick from just outside the box wide of the net. Bowdoin controlled play late in the second half, putting together several promising scoring opportunities. Julia Patterson headed a shot with under four minutes to play, resulting in a scrum that produced more looks for the Polar Bears.
Amherst tallied the game-winning goal 8:41 into overtime as Hannah Guzzi broke away down the center, shadowed by a Bowdoin defender. Guzzi drew Rachel Stout to the top of the box and slotted a shot just beyond the reach of Stout’s extended hands to end the game.
Bowdoin outshot Amherst by a 15-5 margin and held a 15-6 edge in corner kicks.
The Polar Bears host Bates on Tuesday at 4: 30 p.m.
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