Bowdoin tops Midd to re-Maine undefeated

Author: Jeff Patterson

There were two games against two Maine teams in two days that bore two different results for the Middlebury field hockey team. There were two different two-toned jerseys, too, but in the second game against the second-ranked team in the country, who also happened to be two-time NESCAC champions, the Panthers came in second for the second time this season.

Colby came to Kohn Field first, but by the end of the first half, the Mules were down to the Panthers by two goals. They had not mustered a single shot and would need to play catch-up if they were going to relish in their first victory of the season.

The sensational goalkeeping of Jamie Enos kept the Mules in the game, but in the end, the visitors could not keep up. Middlebury ended up outshooting Colby 15-2 and outscoring Colby 2-1.

"We had a lot of good scoring opportunities against Colby that we just did not capitalize on," said co-captain Lacey Farrell '08, who scored Middlebury's first goal off of a penalty corner. "Their goalie played very well for them and essentially kept them in the game for the most part."

But Colby was just part one.

"I think playing two games back-to-back against any two teams is more than anything a mental challenge," said Marnie Rowe '08.5, who scored Middlebury's second goal against Colby. "Our team is in great shape, so we can handle the physical aspect of it. It's hard not to have much time to regroup mentally in between games. But, we played great in both games, so I think we were successful despite what the scoreboard said on Sunday."

The scoreboard on Sunday said Bowdoin 1, Middlebury 0. The game started slowly, much like a two-toed sloth, but once the second half came around, Bowdoin had scoring opportunities in two shakes.

At the 18:35 mark, an unmarked Hillary Hoffman hit her mark - the back of Caitlin Pentifallo's '09 goal.

The Bowdoin defense held their ground - although the turf was not theirs - and kept Middlebury from scoring. Afer 70 minutes, the Panthers were the eighth straight team to be shutout by Polar Bear netminder Emileigh Mercer.

Rowe thinks the shutout streak will end sooner or later.

"There are still plenty of games left in the season, and whoever scores against them first will rattle them," she said. "We will meet up with them again later in the season, in NESCACs to make sure it happens."

The ways in which the team can improve are twofold.

"We are going to continue to work on perfecting our penalty corners in practice," said Farrell. "Our success as a team will come with time. The more we play together, the better we will develop as a unit. Our goal is to peak at the right time."

"We have all the goods we just need to put them all together in one package," said Rowe.