MIDDLEBURY, Vt.

The Middlebury College women’s hockey team scored in the final five minutes to end Bowdoin’s season in a 2-1 NESCAC semifinal on Saturday afternoon.

The Polar Bears concluded the 2017-18 season with a 13-9-3 overall record, advancing to the semifinal for the second consecutive year.

The top-seeded Panthers returned to the NESCAC championship at 19-4-3.

Kerri St. Denis turned away 13 Middlebury shots in the opening period and kept the Polar Bears within striking distance.

Bowdoin broke through with 21 seconds remaining in the period to head into the first intermission up 1-0. Brooke Solomon broke out of the Polar Bear zone and carried the puck in Panther territory and split a pair of defenders. The junior fired a shot from the right dot, with Nell Fusco deflecting the puck as it came towards the net.

Middlebury evened the game on the power play at 9:12 in the second. The Panthers crowded the crease and Jessica Young poked the puck through traffic and past St. Denis.

Bowdoin spent half of the third period down a skater as the Polar Bears served five penalties. Middlebury finally converted on the power play with 5:35 remaining in the game to take the lead. Maddie Winslow scored the game-winner for Middlebury.

St. Denis kept the Polar Bears in the game for all 60 minutes, posting 39 total saves and 14 in the final frame. Lin Han turned away 14 shots.

Middlebury went 2-for-8 on the power play. Bowdoin was 0-for-1 with the man advantage.

Women’s lacrosse

Bowdoin opened its campaign with a flourish, exploding for 23 goals in a 23-6 over Connecticut College.

The Polar Bears (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC) posted 20 goals in a NESCAC game for the first time since 2000 when Bowdoin scored 21 against Bates. The Polar Bears scored 13 goals in the opening half to put the game out of reach early.

Bowdoin jumped to an 8-1 lead thanks to a pair of early goals from Katherine Miller and Hannah Hirschfeld. Miller continued to roll and scored twice more before the end of the half as Margaret Savage added two as well. The Polar Bears carried a 13- 4 lead into intermission.

Bowdoin quickly pushed the game into running time as Miller, Allison Williams, Logan and Kate Kelly added two goals apiece in the second half as the Polar Bears cruised to the win.

Miller scored six goals in her first collegiate game for Bowdoin, while Hirschfeld scored two goals with four assists. Kelly, Savage and Williams had three goals apiece for Bowdoin, while Morgan Pinado tallied nine draw controls.

Jamie Navoni led Connecticut College (0-1) with four goals.

Kayli Weiss (four saves, four goals against) and Erin Morrissey (no saves, two goals) split time in goal for Bowdoin. Megan Mullin made 10 saves for the Camels.

Bowdoin owned a 21-9 advantage in draw controls and 39-15 edge in shots for the game.

Bowdoin hosts UNE on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.

Men’s lacrosse

Connecticut College used a four-goal third quarter to rally past Bowdoin, 8-6, in the season-opener for both squads on Saturday afternoon.

The Camels improved to 1- 0 (1-0 NESCAC), while Bowdoin fell to 0-1 (0-1 NESCAC).

In a back-and-forth game, the teams ended the first quarter tied, 3-3, as six different scorers found the back of the net.

A second-quarter goal by Connecticut College’s Jack Rutter gave the hosts a 4-3 edge at the break.

Bowdoin got consecutive goals from Shawn Daly and Brett Kujala to open the third quarter, taking a 5-4 advantage with 11:54 left in the frame.

The Camels answered with a four-goal surge, sparked by a pair of Sean Smith goals, to carry an 8-5 lead into the final period.

Bowdoin was unable to score until Kujala netted his third of the game with 1:38 to close the final margin to two goals.

John Young made six saves for Bowdoin, while Jameson Hill stopped 15 for Connecticut College. Bowdoin owned a 43-32 edge in shots. Smith and Rutter scored two goals each for the Camels.

Bowdoin will return to action this upcoming Saturday when it hosts Amherst in the first lacrosse game at Whittier Field next Saturday at 1 p.m.