The Middlebury field hockey team was eager to defeat the Bowdoin Polar Bears after their unexpected loss to the 23rd ranked Endicott College team the weekend prior. Shockingly, the normally unbeatable Panthers came up short again.
Middlebury Athletics estimated that 467 spectators were in attendance for Fall Family Weekend. Despite the pressure, the Panthers had seemed ready for the challenge.
“For me, the most exciting games are the ones that come with a lot of pressure,” defender Tessa Herbst ’28 told The Campus. “As a team, we welcome those challenges and enjoy facing them together.”
Middlebury tallied the first goal of the game when midfielder Addie Chandler ’29 scored in the beginning of the third quarter. But Bowdoin responded with an equalizer later in the quarter.
The game remained level throughout the fourth quarter, and the teams entered overtime tied 1–1. However, the pressure did not phase the squad.
“As the game moved into overtime, the pressure kept building, and that’s when we really lean on each other and on our preparation. It’s exciting to play such competitive conference games, and we’re grateful for that opportunity as well as the pressure that comes along,” Herbst wrote.
Starting goalie Izzy Redzic ’27 worked hard to keep the ball out of the Panthers’ net. After a scoreless double overtime and with fans on the edge of their seats, the game would be decided by a shootout.
Midfielder Megan Fuqua ’27 made the first attempt for the Panthers, skillfully shifting the ball around the Bowdoin goalie and into the net. However, Middlebury couldn’t score again and, with Bowdoin making two of their five shootout attempts, the Polar Bears walked away victorious.
“Every loss teaches us something new about ourselves that we didn’t know before. This new knowledge will boost us in our preparation for next weekend,” Herbst wrote.
Despite the disappointing result, the game statistics highlight the Panther’s dominant presence on the field. Middlebury outshot Bowdoin 19 to 5, and succeeded in creating 14 penalty corners to the Polar Bears’ four.
“Going forward, we need to continue developing our scoring opportunities and converting on them. I’m excited to see us capitalize on these chances, which is something that we’ll definitely continue to work on in practice,” Emma McNealy ’28 wrote.
The meeting between the Panthers and the Polar Bears was Middlebury field hockey’s fifth overtime game so far this season and finished with their second shootout of the year. They previously won a shootout against Hamilton College in their first NESCAC game of the season.
Despite the current dip in form, the Panthers recently had a reason to celebrate when the team beat Connecticut College 1–0 two weekends ago. The win marked Coach DeLorenzo’s 400th career victory at the college, an impressive and hard-earned achievement. The team celebrated their leader’s milestone by pouring gatorade over her head, waving homemade posters and gifting a bouquet of flowers.
“We’re all so happy for her. ‘Delo’ has created such a special culture to be a part of and we’re so lucky to have her,” Fuqua wrote.
The Panthers will look to reassert their dominance as they hit the road this upcoming weekend, facing the Colby Mules and Wesleyan College.
“I’m also looking forward to these next few weekends with all conference games. Each game will be competitive, as is the nature of the NESCAC, and a great opportunity for us to challenge ourselves,” McNealy wrote.
Regardless of their back-to-back losses, Middlebury remains motivated to finish their season strong.
“I know our team has so much potential, and I’m excited to make some tweaks we need to reach it. We still have plenty of big NESCAC games ahead, and we’re excited to come out stronger and to play for hosting rights in the NESCAC tournament,” Herbst wrote.
