BRUNSWICK, Me. – A pair of first quarter goals just over one minute apart proved enough for the #3 seed Bowdoin who defeated the #6 seed Wesleyan field hockey team, 2-0, in the NESCAC Quarterfinal round on Saturday afternoon.
It was a frustrating afternoon for the Cardinals who outshot the Polar Bears 16-7 in the contest (13-3 over the final three quarters) and generated a massive 14-2 advantage in penalty corners, only to see Bowdoin goalkeeper Eva Filipponi make eight saves to deny Wesleyan.
Keira O'Flynn '29 started the game strong with a stop on Hannah Balmelli just under six minutes into play on what was a clean shot attempt from inside the circle in transition for the Polar Bears.
Just under four minutes later, however, Bowdoin struck first on their first penalty corner of the game. Ella Davies received the insert on the wing and Emily Ferguson got her stick down for a deflection goal right in front to make it 1-0 Bowdoin.
Then just 66 seconds later, Charlotte Crawford wound up just outside the circle and the ball took a massive bounce off the turf to the far post where Katie Athanasoulas was waiting to knock in another goal.
The Cardinals gave Bowdoin all they could handle over the final three quarters to try and get back into the game. The second quarter in particular saw Wesleyan outshoot Bowdoin 6-0 and generate five penalty corner opportunities while the Polar Bears had none. The best opportunity came with around five minutes left in the second quarter when
Emily Smith '29 had an initial shot saved by Filipponi but the rebound caromed to
Bridget FitzGerald '30 whose shot was destined for the goal only to see Athanasoulas get a stick on the ball for a crucial defensive save.
Smith was denied again a few minutes later, as the sophomore midfielder dribbled past several Bowdoin defenders before getting deep into the circle. With Filipponi coming off her line, Smith tried to flick a shot over a sprawling Filipponi but the Bowdoin keeper got enough of the ball with her leg pads to deny Smith.
After a scoreless third quarter, Wesleyan pulled O'Flynn for an extra field player with just over three minutes remaining and generated three shot attempts and two penalty corners in the final 3:13 of play, but it was not enough in the end as Bowdoin came away victorious.
The Cardinals came into play on Saturday ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Power Index, the ranking system used to determine at-large NCAA Tournament bids. Wesleyan awaits results around the country and hope to see their name among the teams in the field for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
