In the NESCAC semifinals championship on Saturday the field hockey team concluded a strong 2005 campaign. After defeating conference rival Tufts to advance to the semis, the team was eliminated by the Bowdoin Polar Bears, an undefeated squad currently ranked fourth in the nation.

Just one week prior to semifinal meeting, Bowdoin trounced the Cardinals by a score of 7-1; their next match up, though, would be much closer. Although Wesleyan eventually fell by a margin of 2-0, the team showed much of its trademark grit and tenacity, giving the Bears one of their closest games of the year. Goalkeeper Caitlin Kelly ’07 managed an impressive thirteen saves against of one the country’s premier offenses. But the Bowdoin defense ultimately proved overwhelming as the Cardinals were unable to find the back of the net with any of their seven shots on goal.

While the season-ending defeat at the hands of one of the nation’s strongest programs surely was disappointing, the Cardinals know that they have much to be proud of. The team concluded the 2005 campaign with a solid 11-5 overall record, 5-4 in NESCAC play. Four of those five defeats came against the three top-ranked squads in the region. Even more impressive is the team’s cumulative tally of shots on goal: over the course of the season. Wesleyan out shot its opponents by a margin of 237-180, a testament to the Cardinal’s characteristically aggressive offense.

The team also counts a number of individual accolades to its credit. Cortney Tetrault ’07, who recorded four goals and eight assists on the season, was awarded First Team all-NESCAC honors and Molly Adams ’07 earned a spot on the all-NESCAC Second Team. Adams led the team with ten goals and also managed six assists. Earlier in the season Adrienne Shea ’08 garnered NESCAC Player of the Week honors after she scored four goals over a two-game span. On the defensive end, Kelly boasted an impressive .808 save percentage en route to a season total of 118 stops.

With many of their best players returning the team looks poised to surpass even this year’s high marks during the 2006 campaign. But the Cardinals will lose a solid core of seniors whose leadership surely will be missed: Co-captains Liz Dee and Amy Rouse, Alex Lowery, Kaylea Moore, Alex Pfeiffer, and Caitlin Thompson.