BRUNSWICK, Maine – Kara Finnerty scored with three minutes remaining in overtime to lift the Bowdoin field hockey team to a season-opening 2-1 win against the University of New England on Wednesday evening.
The Polar Bears (1-0) took the one goal lead late in the first half, but the Nor'Easters (0-2) forced overtime with a goal in the final five minutes of regulation.
Game Highlights
Elizabeth Growney put the Polar Bears on the board with 6:26 remaining in the first half. Manveer Sandhu put the ball on net and forced Liz Sargent to make a save, but the keeper lost track of the rebound and Growney put Bowdoin ahead.
The Nor'Easters flipped the script in the second with seven penalty corners against the Polar Bears. UNE finally converted as Kersey Boulay received the insert and carried right before dishing back to Reanne Boulay who blasted a shot through the defense with 4:06 remaining.
Kendra McDonald gave the Nor'Easters a promising look in overtime as she outpaced her defenders and faced Maddie Ferrucci at full speed. McDonald carried left, but Ferruci sprawled to turn away the bid.
Sandhu answered the breakaway attempt with one of her own, weaving through three defenders before a clean one-on-goal opportunity. Sandhu carried low to the right and fired a shot that Sargent stopped point blank.
The Polar Bears earned the win with 3:05 left in the first overtime. Abby Bashaw swept a centering pass inside the stroke where Finnerty finished with a reverse sweep to the far corner.
By the Numbers
Bowdoin held a 20-12 edge in shots, with an 11-3 edge in the first half. UNE outshot the Polar Bears in the second, but the hosts regained the advantage in overtime.
UNE earned eight penalty corners to Bowdoin's seven which all came in the first half.
Sargent ended the day with 10 saves, while Ferrucci made seven.
Up Next
Bowdoin opens conference play on Saturday as the Polar Bears play host to Amherst at 11:00 a.m.
UNE heads to MIT on Saturday.
CASSIDY LEADS COLBY FIELD HOCKEY PAST HUSSON
WATERVILLE, Maine -- Georgia Cassidy, an all-region and All-NESCAC player a year ago, started off the season with one goal and four assists to help the Colby College field hockey team to a 6-0 season-opening win over Husson University on Wednesday at Bill Alfond Field.
Myri Skodock added two goals, while Emily Hogan scored her first Colby goal after transferring from Division I American University. Delaney Keithley and Lauren Walter also tallied and forward Sarah Gaffney had one assist.
The Mules (1-0 overall), who host Tufts University in their NESCAC opener on Saturday at 1 p.m., had a 15-2 advantage in shots and a 13-3 margin in penalty corners.
Walter scored the eventual game-winning goal at 6:05 of the first half when she scored in front after taking a cross from the right side from Cassidy.
The Mules went up 3-0 at halftime with two goals in a span of 40 seconds. Keithley scored off another assist from Cassidy at 28:50. Gaffney's nice cross from the right side was one-timed by Hogan for the third goal at 29:30.
Skodock made it 4-0 just 3:01 into the second half when she scored from near the right post off a pass from Cassidy that started off a penalty corner.
Cassidy made it 5-0 on a nice individual effort at 42:21. Her high blast came after some nice stick-handling and then a shot off a spinning move. Skodock scored the final goal with 10 minutes remaining from in front after a penalty corner.
Riley Whitmyer, who led the NESCAC in save percentage last year, had one stop in 52:47. Emily Buckman played the final 17:13 and did not have to make a save.
Husson (0-2 overall) received five saves from keeper Andrea Shaggy.
Box score:
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