Volume CXXXIII, Number 7 October 26, 2001 f

Field hockey looks ready for playoff action, Williams next
KRISTEN DUMMER
STAFF WRITER

Currently on a seven-game roll, the women of field hockey are ready for their NESCAC playoff appearance this weekend.

In the middle of that streak, when the Bears (13-2) showed visiting parents what they were made of two weeks ago, the women defeated Connecticut College by a score of 3-0 in their last regular-season home game.

Bowdoin fired eleven shots on goal, and the Camels totaled five against sophomore goaltender Gillian McDonald. She was able to stop every shot, marking her fifth solo shutout of the 2001 season.

Scoring for the Bears in the first half were sophomores Shoshana Kuriloff and Faye Hargate, both unassisted. During the second half of play, Rachel Rones scored the game's final goal after a scramble in front of the Conn net, pushing the Bears to a 3-0 margin of victory.

Last weekend, the women traveled to Waterville for a showdown with Colby. A scoreless first half made for an exciting second frame. After seven minutes of play, captain Alison Scaduto '02 assisted top scorer Marissa O'Neil '05 for a goal. It was O'Neil's eighth of the season.

The Bears continued their advantage with an unassisted goal from Leah McClure '03, bringing the score to 2-0. The Mules were able to get one by McDonald, but the Scaduto-O'Neil duo combined again with 6:24 remaining on the clock, pushing the score to 3-1.

The following day, the Polar Bears hosted the first round of the NESCAC tournament. Facing the Camels of Conn College once again, the Bears earned a 1-0 win.

"Conn College played a lot better than they did the week before," head coach Nicky Pearson said. "They were coming off a 3-1 win on the turf on Saturday at Bates.

"The [team's] performance on Sunday was disappointing in comparison to Saturday. The team knew it, and is practicing hard for this weekend."
In other playoff action that same Sunday afternoon, Williams dealt Wesleyan a 4-0 defeat and Amherst conquered Colby, 2-1.

Each winner from those games joins top-seeded Middlebury (10-4) at the tournament semifinals tomorrow. The Bears, seeded second in the tournament, play third seed Williams (10-3), while Amherst (12-3) faces off with the Panthers.

"There are four very strong teams going into the NESCAC tournament this weekend, and we are one of them," said junior Jackie Templeton.

Both tomorrow's NESCAC semifinals and Sunday's championship game will take place at Middlebury.

"This weekend is going to be really tough," McDonald said. "Williams is a great team. We are going to have to play our best field hockey to date in order to beat them. If we stay composed, focused and play as a team, we should win."

"We didn't play up to our potential when we beat Williams 2-1 in the regular season," Templeton said. "As a team this past Sunday, while Williams was watching us on the sideline, we didn't play so hot again, against Colby...but won 1-0.

"They have no idea about our potential," she continued. "If we go out there this weekend, and play like we know how...there will be no stopping us. We are ready to come out strong tomorrow and catch Williams off guard."