BRUNSWICK

Bowdoin College and Brunswick run in the Caputi family.

Dave Caputi coached Bowdoin football for 15 seasons. Beth Caputi was the girls lacrosse coach at Brunswick High School. Their son Mac was Bowdoin’s starting quarterback and played lacrosse from 2012-2015.

That’s why when their daughter Lydia, now a standout on the Polar Bears’ women’s basketball team, left Brunswick in high school, there wasn’t really a question.

She was always coming back.

The family path

Lydia grew up in Brunswick and eventually ended up at Brunswick High like Mac and her older sister Maggie before her. But like them, she wasn’t going to be there for the long haul. After three years with the Dragons, Mac and Maggie each transferred to Holderness School in Plymouth, N.H. They intended to repeat their junior year and graduate after two.

Lydia followed a similar path, but had basketball in mind. After two seasons in the black and orange, to the dismay of many Brunswick fans, she left for Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. A lot went into the decision. It was about academics and basketball and most importantly, another year of development.

She repeated her sophomore year and spent three at Tabor.

“I wanted to set myself up to go to the best school I possibly could. Brunswick was great and I loved it, but for me personally, I think I really benefited from an extra year of growth. Nothing but love for Brunswick, but Tabor was just a really good opportunity for me.”

It was also about the highest level of basketball she could have chosen. Watching the Maine high school basketball tournament this season, Lydia was amazed at the speed of the game. Without a shot clock, teams might take a full minute to pass the ball around and develop a play.

At Tabor, it got real and it got real fast. She jumped into a world of high-octane basketball with a shot clock and loads of pressure.

“Tabor was a really good basketball school. Some of the kids I played with when I was a senior and they were sophomores, one girl plays at UConn, another girl plays at South Carolina. I was competing and practicing against those girls every day.”

Even if she didn’t know it at the time, she was preparing for New England Small College Athletic Conference basketball back home.

A Polar Bear

When Lydia left for Tabor, there wasn’t any clear picture on whether she’d be back or not, but Bowdoin coach Adrienne Shibles was supportive nonetheless. Before becoming a Polar Bear, Lydia’s dad was a coworker of Shibles, who was already very close with the family. Lydia went to Bowdoin basketball camps and had a long-standing relationship with Shibles long before her career started.

“Lydia is such a genuine person that shows such a passion for the game of basketball,” Shibles said. “Our relationship obviously started when she was young, getting to know her as a person and a player.”

It was such a strong relationship that the Caputi’s went to Shibles for advice on what academy Lydia should attend. Tabor came up quickly. Shibles knew of the coaching and the program’s reputation and knew that if Lydia did wind up back at Bowdoin, she’d be a much better player and a much better person after the experience.

“She talked to me a little bit about that, the family talked to me a little bit about that,” Shibles said. “But not with any sort of slant on ‘Well, she’ll eventually be coming back.’ It was, this is the best decision for her as a student and an athlete.”

She followed Lydia’s success at Tabor, where she was named an All-New England player, and by the time her senior year rolled around, the picture was pretty clear.

“She just has always loved Brunswick and Bowdoin,” Shibles said. “She had other opportunities to go elsewhere, but at the end of the day decided that was her home. Had she not gone away to school, she might not have made the same decisions. It worked out pretty well for us at Bowdoin and we’re just thrilled to have her here.”

“I had some pretty good options, but for me, my going away to college was when I went to Tabor. I always knew that I wanted to come back home. My college experience was totally shaped by the fact that I grew up in Brunswick. I saw every day what I thought the typical college student looked like.”

That’s why when Lydia pictured her ideal college experience, it was on the campus she grew up on. She went on visits to other schools but always ended up comparing them side-by-side with Bowdoin. Nothing could compete.

“Really, really high-level basketball and even higher-level academics. It’s kind of tough to beat. I think it was always Bowdoin for me.”

The best part was, she was way ahead of the game. With Shibles tracking her closely and her familiarity with the program, it was an easy transition. When she said she wanted to apply for early decision, all Shibles had to say was “We’d love to have you.”

“The recruitment process for me was probably a little bit different than most other kids. I went to her premier camps throughout high school, so we were always kind of on the same page. She was always pretty straight up with me about where I stood on her list. She was really supportive throughout my high school career because I was in touch with her the whole time.”

On the court

Now, Lydia’s living her dream. She’s on the team she grew up watching and she’s one of the players she grew up idolizing. One thing that would make up for missing the 2004 road trip to watch Bowdoin play in the Division III National Championship would be getting to one as a player.

The tough decision to leave Brunswick certainly prepared her for it.

“Playing with scholarship level players and playing against scholarship-level players day in and day out at the high school level really did prepare her for NESCAC basketball,” Shibles said. “She was very fortunate to have teammates that share her passion for the game of basketball and who were super talented.”

In the beginning, though, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Lydia. Bowdoin was home, but it was still one of the best Division III basketball programs in the country. Background aside, it takes time to adjust to that level a play.

“Her first year at Bowdoin was just a real adjustment as far as getting comfortable with our style of play,” Shibles said. “Even with coming from Tabor, with the level of physicality and quickness on the court, when high school players come to college, especially coming to a really strong program, there’s a little bit of an adjustment phase where students can lose a little bit of confidence.”

It wasn’t gone for long. After appearing in 23 games as a freshman (33 points, 11 assists), Lydia took her game to the next level quickly. As a sophomore, she notched 148 buckets, 90 rebounds and 33 assists.

“I feel like between her freshman and sophomore years, she really worked very hard in the offseason and made that leap,” Shibles said. “She’s now a key player for us.”

Not only that, but she’s molded into a leader. Lydia, as a junior, has started in 23 of 25 games this season. Numbers like her 42 percent 3-point field goal percentage, 67 rebounds and 32 assists speak for themselves, but she’s often the one speaking loudest on the court.

“She’s beloved by all of her teammates,” Shibles said. “When she talks, people listen. Because she has those deep relationships with our players that lay the groundwork for respect and people to follow her.”

Behind that leadership, Bowdoin is playing in yet another NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Polar Bears sit at 21-4 and are ranked 21st in the latest WBCA Division III poll. Really, it’s just another year.

It might be easy to take 16 trips in 17 years and 11 “Sweet Sixteen” appearances for granted, but that’s the last thing Lydia will do.

“I think we know that nothing is guaranteed. Every day at the start of practice, we look at it, we recognize that it’s a blessing to be out there. So many people would kill for the opportunity to be out there. We’re so lucky. Not even that we get to be out there, but that we get to be out there with such an awesome group of people.”

Toby Martin, an assistant coach, summed it up best at practice this week: “You guys compete like you hate each other, but the second the drill’s over, it’s all love.”

That, right there, is Lydia’s favorite part about the Bowdoin experience.

‘I had expectations of what it would be like to be a part of the Bowdoin women’s basketball team and they’re exceeded every single day.”

For now, the future is unclear. She doesn’t know if it involves Brunswick, or basketball, or coaching but, admittedly, it’s something she thinks about a lot. At least this weekend, there’ll be plenty more to think about.

While Lydia’s still a Polar Bear, her goals will come first.

“From a personal standpoint, just to continue being the best teammate that I can be. Putting my teammates in the best position to win a NESCAC Championship and then go as far as we can and win a national championship. Obviously that’s the goal is to do what I can personally.”

Bowdoin will take on SUNY New Paltz State today at 5 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.