Volume CXXXIII, Number 12 December 7, 2001 f

Women's hockey to take on #1 Panthers
REBEKAH METZLER
STAFF WRITER

I don't know if we, the students of Bowdoin College, are ready. You know what I'm talking about. Tonight, our Bears take on Middlebury, the top-ranked Division III squad in the country, and it promises to be a big one.

Dayton Arena will see some major action tonight when the Bears take on Middlebury at 7:00 p.m. (Colin LeCroy, Bowdoin Orient)

However, if last weekend is any indication, the Bears won't have any problems with the Panthers. Bowdoin tore up its competition, defeating Amherst 4-0 last Friday and demoralizing Hamilton 11-0 on Saturday.

At Amherst (2-3), sophomore Jess Burke scored two goals to lead the Bears past the Jeffs. First years Kirsti Anderson and Marissa O'Neill netted a goal apiece in the win as well. Tallying assists were senior Carrie Simonds, junior Beth Muir, first year Cathie Quinlan, and O'Neill. The Bears outshot the Jeffs by a whopping 49-9 margin.

Fresh from that victory, the women rolled into Hamilton on Saturday. The long drive left the Bears a little agitated when they first hit the ice. However, when they skated off the rink three periods later, the carnage left behind was a clear statement to Middlebury.

Finishing up 11-0, the game was nothing short of complete Bowdoin domination. "We came out slow against Amherst, but we definitely made up for it when we played Hamilton," sophomore Gillian McDonald said.

"Last weekend gave us confidence, because we played our systems well," Sadie Wieschoff '04 said.

Tonight marks the women's first home game, and it's uncertain if their fans have been adequately prepared to witness the action.

Middlebury's Panthers, #1 in Division III, visit the #2 Bears tonight at 7:00 p.m. Each team has outscored its opponents 29-0 and 29-1, respectively, thus far in the season.

According to several team members, "I think that we are more than ready for Middlebury," McDonald said.

"We are all very excited and ready for this weekend," Wieschhoff added.
Whoever rises to the top tonight will claim the heavyweight title of number one in DIII women's hockey in the nation.

This is a big deal. For those of you who haven't heard the hype, here it is. Middlebury hasn't been beaten in its last 129 games of DIII competition. The Panthers' official record is 128-0-1; the tie was dealt to them last year in Brunswick, Maine, by our very own Polar Bears.

Last year's game ended at a 3-3 tie, and was full of offensive and defensive heroics from a young Bowdoin team. Sixteen sophomores and first years filled the ranks of that squad.

Bowdoin head coach Michele Amidon cited several reasons why this year will be different. "We're older and wiser, and the first years are extremely strong this year" she said. "We also play a very aggressive and tenacious style that Middlebury struggles with."
Amidon added that she was confident, despite the pressure on her team. "If we show up and play our game, there is no doubt in my mind that we will be #1 in the nation by Friday night," she said.

Even with the excitement going into the matchup, it's evident that the team is aware of the serious challenge ahead. "I think the key is going to be for us to play well during the entire game," Wieschoff said. "We cannot, and will not, let up!"

"It's going to be really tough, but with our new Bauer gear and bandos, we should be victorious," McDonald said.

The women of Bowdoin ice hockey have been dedicating themselves to tonight's task for weeks. It is the sort of game they dream about every time they fall asleep at night.

The intensity and atmosphere created in Dayton Arena are vital to how close our Bears come to making their dream a reality. So, if you love Bowdoin, if you love ice hockey, or if you just love being loud, come on out to Dayton tonight, because you can change the world-the DIII Women's ice hockey world, that is.