BRUNSWICK

Most young men and women attend high school in their hometown, then after graduating may head away to college to start the next chapter in their young lives.

Brunswick native Lydia Caputi did the polar opposite.

On Friday, Lydia, a sophomore, will be on the court when her Bowdoin College women’s basketball team faces high-flying Westfield State at 7 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Lydia grew up in Brunswick and was a standout on the Dragons’ girls soccer, lacrosse and basketball teams during her freshman and sophomore years.

At the young age of just 16, Lydia made a life-changing decision, leaving behind all that she knew at BHS, her friends and her family, and moving to Tabor Academy, a boarding school in Marion, Mass.

“It was the biggest adjustment I had to make in my life. The only person I knew at Tabor was the basketball coach and a guy my dad had coached in the past. Just those two connections!”

On top of that, Lydia repeated her sophomore year before completing her high school degree two years later. Lydia adapted well, being named Tabor’s Most Outstanding Athlete in both her junior and senior years.

“I like to think I thrived in that environment. It was challenging, but it was a great decision, one of the best that I have made. I could be whoever I wanted to be.”

Then came decision number two! In the end, it was possibly her easiest one yet.

“I grew up watching Bowdoin women’s basketball and I dreamed of one day stepping on the court at Morrell Gymnasium and playing as a Polar Bear.”

Now, the start of her career wasn’t all apple pie and ice cream. As a freshman,

Lydia mostly watched, averaging a mere six minutes on the court and around one point per game as the Polar Bears advanced to the “Sweet 16.”

But, the daughter of Dave, the former Bowdoin College football coach, and Beth, who led the BHS girls lacrosse team to several state titles, didn’t fret. She didn’t pout, or look for a way out. Instead, she cheered, fired her team up, and when given the opportunity, worked her butt off on the court.

“Last year was wicked fun, just some of the most fun that I have ever had. I knew that I was stepping into a different role.”

Lydia listened to the advice of her Bowdoin coach, Adrienne Shibles, and her teammates, namely captain Shannon Brady.

“It really came down to the little things for Lydia,” said Shibles. “After last season, she got into better shape and her confidence grew. She became comfortable on the floor. She is a physical player who can handle the ball.”

“Watching those first few games last year was hard. But, I never had the thoughts of ‘who should I be on the floor instead of?’ I embraced my role and I felt important to the team. The bench feeds the flow and I took on that role.”

As for getting into better shape…

“I knew what I was capable of. I didn’t want the reason for not being on the court to be that I was tired. At first, I wasn’t used to getting out and pushing the entire time I was on the court. Our scheme has us getting out and pushing from the start. I had a year under my belt and I knew what was expected and what I needed to do to maximize my workouts.”

Lydia has stepped up her game, starting all but one of her team’s 26 games, averaging 5.4 points, three rebounds and 1.2 assists a game during her average 19.4 minutes on the court.

There have been ups and downs during her team’s 20-6 season to date. Against Bates, she scored 12 points, a season-high for Lydia, and has scored nine points (against Williams) and eight points in a game on several occasions, including the Polar Bears’ quarterfinal win over Williams.

“Lydia put in a lot of hard work in the offseason, and the work has paid off for her and this team,” said Shibles, who talked about having a “local” player on her team. “It is great that she is from Brunswick and something special for her. She has just made huge contributions for us this year.”

This year has been a “different kind of fun” for Lydia.

“Having a different role forces you to have a different type of fun for sure. I learned so much last year, and this year I have learned even more. I have played with some great players, Shannon, just an incredible player and leader, along with Marle Curle, Kate Kerrigan and Lauren Petit. We have so much depth. We love to bring it.”

“Lydia is one of my favorite people on and off the court, someone who always has your back and holds herself accountable,” said Brady, the lone Polar Bear senior on this year’s squad. “From where her role was last year to this year is amazing to watch. She has done a complete 360.”

Lydia has stayed close with best friend and Bowdoin men’s sophomore basketball player Blake Gordon.

“He has been my best friend forever.”

Lydia feels her team needs to not focus as much on Westfield come Friday. Rather, she believes her Polar Bears need to do what they do to have success.

“We need to play our game, not their game, and not them get into our heads. If we do what we are capable of doing, I think we will have success.”

If Lydia has her way, that last statement will be as easy as coming back home to what she knows and loves — Bowdoin College basketball!