BRUNSWICK

Ten years ago, new Bowdoin College women’s basketball coach Adrienne Shibles held her first Polar Bears Basketball Camp.

A young, 12-year-old Brunswick Junior High School player introduced herself to Shibles, and the rest, as they say, is history.

That Brunswick girl was Lydia Caputi, who tonight will lead her Bowdoin College women’s basketball team into battle against the University of Scranton in the NCAA Division III “Sweet 16.”

“I remember that camp,” said Caputi, now unbelievably a senior at Bowdoin. “There was a lot of construction going on and we had the camp inside the old hockey rink (Dayton Arena), on the cement floor. It was fun even then.”

“She made an impression,” said Shibles of Caputi.

After two years of playing three sports at Brunswick High School, Caputi left for Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. The daughter of Dave, a former Bowdoin College football coach, and Beth, former head coach of Brunswick High School girls lacrosse, Caputi was recruited by Shibles to become a member of Bowdoin. The decision, the sociology major remembers, was an easy one.

“For a while, I tried to challenge myself, to see what other schools I could convince myself to attend, but I found I compared all of those schools to Bowdoin,” said Caputi. “I grew up here, in this awesome college town. I basically lived on campus with my dad coaching.

Ever since I was like 5- years old, I was always like ‘this, Bowdoin College, is the place for me.’”

“The thing that makes Bowdoin special is the community of people, the town of Brunswick that surrounds this campus,” said Shibles. “Lydia is all about people and this community. I knew she was going to be a culture builder for us. She embodies what it is to be a Bowdoin basketball player. She is such a warm, inclusive person, a light that shines.”

Freshman year

After starring in three sports (soccer, basketball, lacrosse) at Tabor, Caputi did what most freshmen seem to do when beginning college — ride the bench and learn.

And learn she did!

As a sophomore, Caputi started to see more playing time, and by her junior year she was a mainstay.

For those unsure of who Caputi is when entering Morrell Gymnasium prior to a game, she is the one dancing to the music, laughing it up with her teammates and keeping things loose. Once the game begins, Caputi is a defensive stalwart, often shutting down the other team’s best players, along with digging on the floor for rebounds and loose balls, a real blue-collar kind of athlete.

“I have learned to focus on what I can control on the court,” said Caputi. “If I miss my first shot, I don’t think about the second. I try to put myself in the best possible position to help my team, whether that is getting a rebound and or just simply defending with all that I have. I have grown a lot during my time here, especially on defense. You learn the importance of defense right away when coming here.

“My freshman year was a huge learning experience, and I try to bring energy to the floor. I like to think that I am versatile, that I can shoot the ball, go to the rim, hit a jump shot or kick the ball outside.”

“She is such an important part of our team culture,” Shibles said. “She is a leader, and is certainly a key to our success. She has been here for all the big moments of Bowdoin College, more so than me. She was here the year Bowdoin went to the national championship. Those players were her heroes. She wanted to get here and keep that tradition going.”

Caputi realizes the role she and her teammates have, especially when walking out from their locker rooms onto the gym floor and seeing the young children waiting on them, putting a hand out to simply touch their heroes.

“It is surreal sometimes, to remember back to that being me, wanting to see those Bowdoin players come out of their locker room and play,” said Caputi.

The NESCAC has been important for the Caputi family. While older brother Mac and Lydia stayed close to home at Bowdoin, sisters Maggie and Claire decided to go elsewhere, with Maggie a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and Claire currently attending Colby College in Waterville.

For now, Caputi is focused on this Friday, not wanting to look back on her four years at Bowdoin quite yet. All she was willing to say was, “it is hard to believe that we are on week eight of our second semester of college. It’s ridiculous!

“Everyone says, ‘college will fly right by,’” Caputi continued. “You don’t realize it until you’re sitting in that circle at basketball practice or in class that I am a senior.”

As for facing Scranton tonight, Caputi feels her team is ready.

“We have the mentality of respecting our opponents, but fearing none,” said the senior. “We are focused on Friday. We realize that if we win that, there are two other teams in our bracket (Tufts and Messiah) who are pretty good. For us to win, it is about playing 40 minutes of Bowdoin basketball.”

“She has that determination,” said Shibles of Caputi. “Kate (Kerrigan) is our most talented defender, but Lydia is right there. When on the floor, she works hard and owns her mistakes. She is selfless to the core.”

Shibles remembered back to the opening two games of this season, when Caputi was dealing with an injury.

“Those first two games, she had rolled her ankle. Though the doctor had cleared her, we were not quite sure that she was at 100 percent. She sat and didn’t start. She never complained, and has always said that she was there for the team. That is someone that is special and a good role model for the younger players,” said Shibles.

Near the end of Saturday’s win against FDU Florham, Caputi, who this season is averaging 5.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and a steal a game, left the Morrell Gymnasium court as an active player at Bowdoin for the final time. The packed, and boisterous crowd stood as one, saluting the Brunswick native, along with classmates Kerrigan and Lauren Petit.

“Playing at Bowdoin, in front of that crowd, is something I have always known is special,” said Caputi. “We have hundreds of fans here for every one of our games. This the loudest gym that we play in. Just great fans who are constantly supportive of us and this program. There is no place else that I would have wanted to play.”