Field hockey falls in battle against Bowdoin

In Middlebury’s second matchup against a top-10 nationally ranked team in as many weeks, the Panther field hockey team came up short against the NESCAC rival Bowdoin Polar Bears, losing 1-0 in a defensive standoff uncharacteristic of the Panthers potent offense. The game was a close contest, as it came down to the final minutes of play for the third straight week in a row.

“We have a really big history with [Bowdoin],” commented Liz Gerry ’12 on the teams’ rivalry. (They met two years ago in the NCAA Championships, from which the Polar Bears emerged victorious.)

After last week’s offensive flurry –– tenth-ranked Middlebury (2-2) pulled off an incredible 4-3 overtime victory over the previously seventh-ranked Trinity Bantams –– it was surprising to see the defensive battle between the Panthers and newly seventh-ranked Bowdoin (5-0) early on in the game. Throughout much of the first period, it seemed as if both teams would not even get a chance to score, as the ball stayed clear of either side’s scoring zones while being heavily contested in the middle of the field; Liz Gerry’s ’12 defensive save being the only big highlight early on.

“It was a back and forth game,” said Gerry. “They played a defense that we weren’t used to.”

It would be the Polar Bears who first came alive offensively in the later moments of the first period, with three consecutive trips into scoring territory resulting in three shots on goal. Yet the game still remained scoreless going into the half thanks to two spectacular saves from goalie Madeline Brooks ’12.5 off of Bowdoin penalty corners as well as a missed opportunity by the Polar Bear’s Ella Curren that clanked off the Middlebury goal post.

The first 29 minutes of the second half played out much like the first, with both teams jostling for possession in the middle of the field and the occasional shot saved by Brooks (seven saves in the contest) or Bowdoin’s Emily Nielson (four saves), who would go on to earn the shutout later in the game. Nielson also had a spectacular save as she stuffed a power shot by Panther Emily Gardiner ’12 in the middle of the period, arguably Middlebury’s best scoring chance of the game.

Finally, after 64 minutes of tough, relentless defense and little to no offense, the Polar Bears broke the scoreless tie with only six minutes remaining in regulation. The score, one that would prove to be the only point of the game, came off of yet another Bowdoin penalty corner. The Polar Bears Elizabeth Clegg injected the ball to Michaela Calnan who set up the game-winner for Curren, gaining redemption for her missed opportunity in the first half.

In a reversal of fortune from the previous two weeks, it would be Middlebury in need of a late game rally down 1-0 with only minutes remaining on the clock. Despite entering the Bowdoin scoring zone multiple times as well as earning two penalty corners within the final minute of play, none of the shots taken in the Panthers’ late offensive flurry resulted in a goal scored. As the clock ticked away, Middlebury’s two-game win streak came to an end and the Polar Bears earned the shutout.

“We start off our season playing some of the best teams not only in the NESCAC, but in the nation,” said Gerry. “Everyone is still very excited about the rest of our season and really positive looking forward.”

Despite the loss, however, the Panthers proved that they could defensively keep up with the nation’s best, holding Bowdoin to only one goal that came off a penalty opportunity.

The Panther offense, as well as the entire Middlebury team, will look to rebound this Friday in a non-conference game at Skidmore.