Releases
Date Posted:10/29/2002, 8:00AM
Polar Bears Prep For Playoffs
BRUNSWICK, Maine - For Bowdoin College athletic squads, when it rains, it pours.
Following a winter that saw three teams competing in NCAA Tournaments, Bowdoin College is poised to duplicate that success this autumn, as three teams stand in first place in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) standings. The Bowdoin men's soccer (10-2-1), women's soccer (10-2-1) and field hockey (10-3) teams all stand in first place in their respective sports and could all potentially host NESCAC Championships on November 9-10.
Behind a seemingly unstoppable offense,
the Bowdoin College men's soccer team has
ambushed
opponents to a tune of 38-17 this season in
13 games this season. After defeating
perennial power
Williams in Williamstown earlier in the
season and cruising to a 10-2-1 mark, the
Polar Bears currently
stand at number seven in the nation. This past
weekend, with a 4-0 blanking of arch-rival
Colby, Bowdoin
clinched the regular season title and the top
seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament.
The Polar
Bears will receive a first-round bye and host
the semifinals and championship on
November 9-10.
Through the years, the Bowdoin field
hockey team has been as consistent as the
changing foliage of
Maine. For the 11th straight season, the Polar
Bears have reached double digits in the win
column and
control their own destiny for the upcoming
NESCAC Tournament. With a 6-2 record in
conference play,
Bowdoin can clinch the top seed for the
tournament with a win over in-state rival Bates
in Brunswick on
Saturday. Currently, a three-way tie exists at
the top of the standings, but the Polar Bears
(thanks to
victories over co-leaders Middlebury and
Williams) hold the tiebreaker. Bowdoin is
ranked 16th in the
latest national poll.
The Bowdoin women's soccer team has
also proved to be a perennial power, having
averaged 11 wins
since 1980. This season is no different as the
Polar Bears stand in a four-way deadlock atop
the NESCAC
standings at 5-2-1. The highest ranked
NESCAC team at 11th in the nation, Bowdoin
could host the
NESCAC Semifinals and Championship
using a number of different scenarios, with
their best chance
likely coming from a three-way tie for first
between themselves, Williams and Tufts.
Either way, the Polar
Bears need to defeat Bates at home this
weekend in order to ensure at least a
first-round home game that
would take place on Sunday afternoon.
All three squads will close out their regular season on Saturday in Brunswick versus Bates with all three gametimes set for 11:00 a.m. Pairings for all NESCAC Tournaments will be announced on Saturday evening.
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