Field Hockey puts scare into Bowdoin in OT thriller

WILLIAM SNAPE ’18
SPORTS EDITOR
Unfortunately for the Women’s Field Hockey squad, going home for Trinity Days would be near impossible this year thanks to a noon game on Saturday.  However, the Bantams got the luxury of home field advantage, and wouldn’t have to trek into the tundra in Brunswick, Maine.
The ladies hosted Bowdoin College, and while this matchup is annual a competitive conference rivalry, this year the Polar Bears of Bowdoin were coming in undefeated at 8-0, including five dominating performances against other NESCAC opponents.  It was Bowdoin who struck first, scoring just seven minutes into the fixture, and it seemed that the game might be another instance of Bowdoin beating up on yet another conference opponent.  However, the Bantams showed a level of grit that Bowdoin had not seen in its earlier games, and it clearly took them by surprise.  Senior tri-captain Liz Caporale ’16 leveled the score at one, and then just eight minutes Sydney Doolittle ’17 put another one past the Bowdoin keeper to put the team up by one.  The Bantams headed back to the locker room at halftime with a 2-1 lead.
After the break, Bowdoin wasted no time getting back on the scoreboard.  In similar fashion to their goal in the first half, this goal came just a little more than six minutes after the second half whistle blew.   However, this was one of the few highlights of the second half and the last 24 minutes of the half were scrappy and hard fought on both sides, neither team yielding another goal for the remainder of regulation play.  After 60 minutes of battling, particularlly on the defensive side of the ball, the game headed into extra time.
It’s important to note that despite the closeness of the game on the scoreboard, by the end of regulation the match had become quite lopsided.  Some notable statistics include:  Bowdoin outshooting Trinity 28 to 9, and additionally had four times the amount of penalty corners (16 to Trinity’s 4).  This means that Bowdoin’s time of possession was significantly higher than Trinity’s, which put the Bantams on defense for the majority of the game.
Further, the uneven shots and penalty corners in Bowdoin’s favor highlight another discrepancy in the statistics.  Trinity’s senior goalkeeper and tri-captain Sophie Fitzpatrick ’16 tallied an impressive 17 saves compared to just three on the part of Bowdoin’s goalie.
However, the relentless offensive pressure from the Bowdoin attackers turned out to be too much in the end as the Polar Bears eventually knotted the final overtime goal three minutes into the extra period, ending the game.
While any overtime loss is disappointing, the ladies’ effort was commendable, and shows that they can hang with the very best teams in the area.
The Bantams will look to put on an even put performance for their next game this Tuesday Oct. 13 at Springfield College.