Volume CXXXII, Number 1 September 13, 2002 f

Field Hockey wins opener with stroke of luck
ALLIE YANIKOSKI
STAFF WRITER

Bowdoin senior Leah McClure stood alone seven yards from the Wellesley goalkeeper for a stroke, the most unusual penalty shot in field hockey. A stroke occurs when the referee believes that the goalkeeper has unfairly used her body to prevent an opponent from scoring.

The Polar Bears set up for another offensive attack in their 3-0 drubbing of Wellesley College. The hottest turf in NESCAC, the Ryan Field, played host. (Courtesy of www.bowdoin.edu)

With a vehement bang against the backboard, McClure secured the first goal of the game and the season for Bowdoin, leading the Polar Bears a 3-0 victory over Wellesley College at Ryan Field on September 8.
McClure assisted the next goal to first year scorer Kristi Gannon, then scored the final goal herself, assisted by junior Amanda Burrage.
Although the Polar Bears dominated the first half of play, it ended in a frustrsting tie.

Said senior co-captain Jackie Templeton said, "We knew that we would have to pick up the momentum in the second half to beat" Wellesley. "We improved in the second half, and we were more confident."

Both confidence and aggression radiated from the Polar Bears as offensive and defensive players worked cohesively to keep the ball at Wellesley's end for the majority of the game.

"It was very encouraging to see that we can come back after a less than optimal first half and get things sorted out," said senior co-captain Sarah Laverty.

Sophomore right wing Colleen McDonald played a major role in helping the Polar Bears to pull away by setting up three Bowdoin goals within twenty minutes with several abrupt breakaways.

Junior goalkeeper Gillian McDonald kept the Bowdoin goal the quietest spot on the field, solidly backed by her defensive and midfield players. McDonald let a mere eleven goals pass by her last season, which ended in the NESCAC semifinals and a solid 13-3 record for the Polar Bears. All of last season's top three scorers, sophomore Marissa O'Neil, and seniors McClure and Templeton, respectively, are back on the team this fall, along with ten other members of last year's team.

Templeton expects another strong season from her team, saying that she is "very impressed" with the first year players and "their concentration and focus."

Bowdoin field hockey welcomed six new members to the team since the start of the season; forwards Christine Gannon and Allyson Craib, midfielders Abby Daley and Margaret Gormley, and defensive players Jacqueline Stahl and Liz Hoering.

Laverty echoes Templeton's enthusiasm, saying that "this year shows a lot of promise. We have a great group of girls with a lot of talent who are all really motivated and excited about the season."