On Tues, Oct. 28 the decorated Middlebury field hockey squad took on 17th ranked Williams. Following a scoreless 60 minutes and two rounds of overtime, the Panthers won in a shootout. With the victory, the Panthers earned hosting rights for the first round of the NESCAC tournament. As the No. 2 seed, they hosted No. 7 Bowdoin at home.
The Panthers faced Bowdoin a month earlier, falling to the Polar Bears in a shootout. Saturday’s match was a chance for Middlebury to reassert their dominance and advance in the tournament, though a win would not come easily. Bowdoin, hungry after missing last year’s postseason, trailed Middlebury just 30-28-1 prior to Saturday’s matchup.
Starter Emma McNealy ’28 shared her excitement to play Bowdoin.
“Our loss to them earlier in the season was all the more reason to beat them this time around,” McNealy said.
Midfielder Megan Fuqua ’27, Middlebury’s lead scorer and holder of the third highest average shot per goal percentage in the NESCAC, also touched on the motivating aspect of playing in the postseason. “From this point on, every game we play is a fight for more days together as a team.”
This motivation, energy and incentive was clear throughout their matchup.
Although Bowdoin opened the scoring in the fourth minute of play, Fuqua tied the score early in the second quarter off a penalty stroke. The goal marked her ninth of the season.
In the third quarter both teams tallied another goal. The Panthers' Ellie Harrison ’26 scored in the 31st minute off an assist from Fuqua. Nine minutes later, Bowdoin responded with a controversial rebound goal to tie the game at 2–2.
“The referee elected to self-review the goal using the video review system which was malfunctioning at the time,” McNealy said. “This was a frustrating moment, given that our team felt the call should have been overturned.”
While the Panther’s offensive line was generating scoring opportunities, their defensive line, consisting of Grace Keefe ’26, Tessa Herbst ’28 and Lily Stockwell ’28, held strong to prevent Bowdoin from creating such opportunities of their own. In goal, Izzy Redzic ’27 defended five of the seven shots Bowdoin recorded.
The clock ticked to 60 minutes and neither team had scored an additional, winning goal. Both teams would have to fight for the win in overtime, a clash between seven players versus the usual eleven.
The first-goal-wins rule creates a sense of urgency— a single mistake can cost an entire game’s worth of work. With the added stress of turnovers, a field hockey overtime promises a high energy matchup.
However, the Panthers are no strangers to playing beyond regulation.
“We have played far more overtime games this season than most Middlebury Field Hockey teams collectively have,” McNealy said.
Yet Saturday’s overtime against Bowdoin was different. If the Panthers wanted to advance to the semifinals, they had to win. There was no other option.
“During the postseason, it’s win or go home,” Fuqua said. “There’s less leeway to attempt a lower-percentage shot and scoring chance at the risk of losing possession."
Hadley Crowther ’29 intercepted the ball in Bowdoin’s defensive 15 in the 64th minute of play. Claire McMichael ’27 then took the rebound and scored, tallying her second game-winning goal in overtime this season.
As McMichael lifted the ball over the Bowdoin goalie, Middlebury players cheered and the fans were ecstatic. It was a great day to be a Panther.
Middlebury’s win books a matchup with Bates, currently ranked sixth in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll. While the Bobcats lost to the Panthers just two weeks ago, Middlebury can expect fierce competition regardless.
Bates unexpectedly beat Middlebury in the semifinals at home last year — a win this Saturday would bring redemption and the ability to advance in the tournament. If Middlebury defeats the Bobcats, they will play in the NESCAC Field Hockey Championship final on Sunday against the winner of the Tufts-Wesleyan game.
Middlebury is the only school to qualify for every conference tournament since the initial championship was held in 2000. The Panthers are a strong and dynamic team, and if Saturday’s game against Bowdoin proved anything, Middlebury is ready to put up a fight, continue their season, and defend their legacy of domination.
