BRUNSWICK, Me. – Senior midfielder
Helen Deretchin '25 scored a backhanded goal from distance nearly five minutes into the overtime period to send the No. 11 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team past Bowdoin in a 3-2 Cardinal victory on Saturday afternoon from Ryan Field. This signals the first time Wesleyan (9-4, 4-4 NESCAC) has beaten the Polar Bears (5-8, 2-6 NESCAC) in Brunswick since 1999.
Wesleyan got on the board first with
Teddy Tolbert '28 blasting home her fourth goal of the season with 1:52 left in the frame.
Kenzie Kelly '25 started the play with an interception in the Bowdoin defensive end. She carried before passing to
Sarah Porter '27 inside the circle who beat the on-ball defender with a deft touch before sliding a pass to Tolbert who did the rest.
Bowdoin answered back over 10 minutes later with Charlotte Crawford finishing with a goal off a pass from Emily Ferguson outside the arc.
After going through the entire first half without a penalty corner, the Cardinals generated three in a span of 1:01 in the third quarter and later found the go-ahead goal on what was the fourth corner of the stanza for Wesleyan. The ball came to
Brooke Miner '28 who slid a pass to her right for Kelly at the near side. With time to line up her shot, Kelly slide home a goal inside the left post to make it 2-1 Wesleyan heading into the fourth.
The Polar Bears pushed for an equalizer, eventually breaking through with a foul call off a penalty corner, as the referee pointed to the spot indicating a penalty stroke. Stepping to the circle was Ferguson who beat
Audrey Pace '26 to level the score at 2-2.
Neither side generated a shot attempt in the remainder of regulation, sending the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Cardinals dominated possession and ultimately found the game-winner 4:41 into overtime.
Georgia Adams '26 possessed on the near side deep in the Polar Bears' end of the field. She held off two Bowdoin players, lulling the pair to sleep as she slipped past both and passed to Deretchin. With her back to goal, Deretchin had one thing on her mind, setting up a backhanded shot attempt that was struck perfectly, beating Lauren O'Donald inside the right post. That was Deretchin's fourth goal of the season and her first game-winning goal of 2024.
Wesleyan was outshot 8-7 in the game and saw Bowdoin hold a 10-4 advantage in penalty corners. Kelly's goal was her fifth of the season and Tolbert scored her fourth.
The win snaps a 13-game losing streak for Wesleyan when playing Bowdoin in Brunswick as the last time the Cardinals defeated the Polar Bears in Maine came in a 2-0 win back on October 30, 1999.
Next up for the Cardinals is a showdown against Colby on Saturday, October 26 at Noon from Hicks Field.
