Williams Loses in a 9-8 Nailbiter at Bowdoin

Wintry weather and a three-hour delay failed to stop No. 23 Williams and the Bowdoin Polar Bears Bears in a thrilling showdown on Saturday afternoon. In a matchup that came down to the wire, the Polar Bears were ultimately able to score the decisive goal in a 9-8 win and celebrate their Senior Day in style. The loss brings Williams to 6-6 on the season and 3-5 in the NESCAC, while Bowdoin improves to 6-6 and 2-6 in the NESCAC.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Franny Donohue got the Eph scoring started, catching the ball on the left side, driving in, and finishing a bouncing shot into the left side to put Williams ahead 1-0 with 13:44 to go in the first quarter.

• Bowdoin took two minutes to respond, as Lauren Burke found Georgia Gallagher inside, and Gallagher deposited the ball into the top right to make it 1-1.

• Two Reece Willison goals in relatively quick succession gave the Ephs a 3-1 lead. First, Sasha Landau's pass into the middle was deflected, and Willison scooped up the ground ball and fired a shot into the bottom right with 8:38 to go in the first quarter. Then, Willison forced a foul and blasted a free-position shot into the roof of the net with 6:44 to play.

• The Polar Bears cut the deficit towards the end of the quarter, taking advantage of a woman-up opportunity. Miya Imaeda drove and flipped inside to Molly Reed, who went upper right for her 30th goal of the year to make the score 3-2 with 3:44 to go in the first.

• A long scoreless stretch was broken with 8:20 to play in the second quarter, when Bowdoin's Mara Muse ducked around the goal from a tough angle and squeezed a shot between Grace Collier and Caroline Pratt to draw the game even at 3-3.

• A few minutes later, the Bears took the lead when Burke converted a free-position shot into the bottom right.

• Williams quickly responded with a dynamic goal from Donohue. She split two defenders to create space, then made a long drive towards the goal, finishing a contested shot into the bottom right corner to make the score 4-4 with 5:24 to play. A chaotic sequence of possessions finished with no goals, and the two teams entered the half tied at four apiece.

• Bowdoin opened the second half's scoring. Reed hit the post, then Burke was fouled corralling the contested rebound. On her ensuing free-position shot, she finished into the right side from straight on, giving Bowdoin a 5-4 lead with 12:38 to go in the third.

• The Polar Bears suffered three penalties in short succession just a few minutes after their goal, giving Williams an unusual opportunity with a three person advantage. The Ephs capitalized, as Cece Tauber converted a free position shot into the top of the net to make it 5-5 with 7:48 to go.

• Bowdoin retook the lead with 5:25 to play in the third, when Reed converted on her second consecutive free-position chance, slinging one into the bottom right on a drive and drawing a yellow card on Meaghan Day in the process. 

• Donohue tied the score soon after, driving right and sliding a shot on a really tight angle by the near post to make it 6-6 with 3:28 to play in the quarter.

• Donohue then put the Ephs up a goal with 2:16 to go in the third, drawing a foul on a drive and firing a missile on her free-position shot into the bottom right.

• Bowdoin scored first in the fourth quarter, as the team ran a crisp play during a free-position attempt, in which Burke passed to a cutting Imaeda for an open finish to tie the score at 7-7 with 13:54 to play.

• Donohue put Williams ahead yet again, whipping a free-position shot into the upper left corner to make the score 8-7 with 12:38 to go in the fourth quarter.

• Bowdoin tied the score at 8-8 a few minutes later, as Grace Harvey found Reed as she cut to the middle, and Reed deposited a goal into the right side with 7:43 to play.

• The next couple of minutes featured several timeouts but no goals. Bowdoin called a timeout with 2:39 leftwith the score 8-8. On the ensuing Bowdoin possession, Harvey found Burke, and she was fouled. Burke's first free-position shot was saved by Pratt, but she was awarded a second on the scrum for the rebound. On the second free-position attempt, Burke drove into the middle and finished around Pratt to put Bowdoin ahead, 9-8, with 1:33 to play.

• The Polar Bears were able to win the next draw, and bleed out the remaining minute and a half en route to a close victory.

NOTES 

• No team led by more than two goals in the entire game, and neither team had greater than a one goal lead after the first quarter.

• The game featured three lead changes and seven ties.

• The loss is the Ephs' fourth of the season by two goals or fewer.

• Donohue and Willison combined for all but one of the goals for Williams.

• Pratt made nine saves in the game to keep the Ephs competitive.

The Ephs return home to take on the Cortland Red Dragons at 4 pm on Wednesday. The Red Dragons are fresh off of a 27-2 win over Morrisville.