Last Saturday, the #15 nationally ranked Middlebury men’s lacrosse team hosted #7 Bowdoin College in its home opener. Despite a chilly breeze dropping the temperature to single digits, fans and families scattered throughout the stands at Youngman Field, rooting for the Panthers to get into the win column for the first time this season.
The game had all the makings of a NESCAC classic; Middlebury faced Bowdoin three times last season, losing in the regular season and winning in the NESCAC semifinals before ultimately coming up short again in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Panther-Polar Bear rivalry was apparent from the start. The first two quarters consisted of intense battles on the attack and defense, with the Panthers going into halftime with a 5–4 lead.
The second half was a completely new story. Head Coach Dave Campbell put it best, describing his team’s season so far.
“We’ve been pretty inconsistent overall, some good, some bad,” he told The Campus.
The Polar Bears went on a 9–2 scoring run, ultimately securing a 13–7 victory.
So far, the Panthers’ opponents have consisted of top-caliber teams in the early season — Amherst College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Bowdoin — that have been ranked in the national top 10. Campbell said his players knew they were starting off against some of the best teams in the country this year.
“We have faced three very good teams to start the season and we knew that going in,” he said. Despite the winless start, the Panthers still hold the 16th best ranking in the nation, a testament to how difficult their schedule has been.
“We have good players all over the field, and we need to play better as a team overall,” Campbell stated. “I believe our best lacrosse is ahead of us and that we will be playing our best when the playoffs roll around.”
Reaching the NESCAC championship and NCAA quarterfinals in back-to-back years, the team’s identity has been rooted in success. Historically, the Panthers won three consecutive national championships (from 2000 to 2002) and seven straight NESCAC Championships (2001–2007). This season especially, the Panthers look forward to sealing the deal, potentially winning their first conference championship since 2007.
The other storyline of the game was the battle between former high-school teammates: Middlebury’s Nick Marvin ’28 and Bowdoin’s Casey Ryan. The two played a game of tango in the opening minutes, with Ryan assisting Bowdoin’s first goal, before a solo response by Marvin to open the scoring for the Panthers.
The journey to the team’s first win this season continues this week when they host Union College (1–3), before going on the road against Bates (4–0) and #20 Babson (4–1) this coming weekend.
“We need to work hard and enjoy the ride and we’ll get where we want to be,” Campbell concluded.
