Box Score BRUNSWICK, MAINE – The Bowdoin College (5-1/2-1 NESCAC) women's lacrosse team defeated visiting Williams College (3-2/1-2 NESCAC) 14-5 under the lights on Ryan Field.
Bowdoin came out on fire, netting three goals before five full minutes had been played.
Bowdoin scored 14 seconds in on their first shot from Kelsey Gallagher with Annie Glenn registering the assist.
Bowdoin then went up 2-0 scoring on their second shot. A free position attempt by Allison Williams.
At 25:25 Bowdoin notched another free position goal on a shot by Kara Finnerty and the Polar Bears had established a 3-0 lead inside of the first five minutes of play.
Trailing 3-0 the Ephs got on the scoreboard when Suzanna Penikis converted on a free position attempt out to the left of Bowdoin goalie Kayli Weiss with 22:30 left in the first half.
The Bowdoin lead went back to three, 4-1, when Alison Williams recorded her second free position tally from directly in front of the goal. Williams's shot went over the left shoulder of Eph goalie Ana Alvarenga.
Less than a minute later the Polar Bears extended their lead to four, 5-1, when Hannah Hirschfeld scored off a feed from Natalie Rudin at 19:16.
Gaining a step on an Eph defender Rudin got in alone on Alvarenga and scored at 18:16 boosting the Bowdoin lead to five, 6-1.
The Ephs' second goal of the first half came with 12:06 remaining as Katie Gallop from behind the goal connected on a pass with a streaking Jenna Chodos who quickly re-directed the Gallop pass into the goal, making the score 6-2 in favor of Bowdoin. This goal started a string of three straight Eph scores.
With 9:30 left in the half Suzanna Penikis notched a second free position score and the Ephs were now down 6-3.
Racing across the goal from left to right about 12 yards out the Ephs' Eliza Quigley beat Weiss and the Ephs had narrowed the Polar Bear lead to 6-4 with 8:06 left in the opening session. That would be the closest the Ephs would come to tying the score in the contest.
Bowdoin answered the Eph three-goal run with a three-goal string to close out the first half. The Polar Bears' Mettler Growney responded to the Ephs' three-goal string by netting a free position goal at 6:14, restoring a 3-goal Bowdoin lead, 7-4.
Capitalizing on a man-up situation and a free position attempt by Kara Finnerty the Polar Bears boosted their lead back to four, 8-4, at 3:31. Just 19 seconds later Bowdoin was up 9-4 when Kate McAloon set up Allison Williams for her third goal of the game at 3:12.
Bowdoin took the five goal lead, 9-4, into the halftime break.
Five of the Bowdoin nine goals in the first half came on free position opportunities.
Both Kayli Weiss for Bowdoin and Ana Alvarenga for Williams registered three saves in the first half. Both teams committed five turnovers, while Bowdoin held a 6-4 advantage in ground balls and an 8-6 advantage in draw controls.
The Ephs inserted senior Margaret Draper in goal at the start of the second half, replacing Alvarenga.
Bowdoin opened the second half scoring with an unassisted goal from Kelsey Gallagher at 26:29, giving Bowdon a six-goal margin at 10-4. Just 55 seconds later Kara Finnerty made the score 11-4 in favor of Bowdoin as she also netted an unassisted goal. It was Finnerty's third goal of the contest.
Finnerty's fourth goal of the game, unassisted, came at 19:45 and Bowdoin was now up 12-4.
Kara Wollmers scored for the Ephs at 13:05 on an unassisted tally and the Bowdoin lead was now seven at 12-5. Bowdoin's Annie Glenn notched an unassisted score to boost the Bowdoin lead to 13-5 with 9:27 left to play.
With 5:58 remaining Elizabeth Growney scored a free position goal and Bowdoin now led 14-5.
Kara Finnerty was the game high scorer with four goals and teammate Allison Williams netted three. Suzanna Penikis was the lone Eph to score more than one goal and she had two.
Seven of the Polar Bears' goals came on free position shots.
Bowdoin goalie Kayli Weiss stopped seven of 12 Ephs shots on the night. The Ephs' Ana Alvarenga in the first half had three saves and allowed nine goals. Margaret Draper in the final 30 minutes recorded four saves and allowed five goals.
Bowdoin out shot the Ephs 32-13 and the Polar Bears collected 16 ground balls to the Ephs' 13.
Williams committed 15 turnovers and the Polar Bears had 13 miscues and Bowdoin won one more draw control than Williams, 11-10.
"Bowdoin came out strong and played hard and well," said Eph head coach Chris Mason. "We are better than we showed today, but we have much we still need to work on."
Next up for the Ephs is a NESCAC Saturday afternoon encounter at Bates at noon, while the Polar Bears will host Middlebury also at noon.
