The women’s ice hockey team snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday, skating to a 2-2 tie with Bowdoin College. This came on the heels of a difficult NESCAC loss to Colby College on Friday, 5-1, and ended a 17-game losing streak for the Polar Bears overall.
The Colby game did not start well, as the Mules took the lead about seven minutes in. A flat Wesleyan squad did not respond well, and fell behind 3-0 at the end of one.
“We had a really poor first period, and [Colby] was able to capitalize on our mistakes,” said Adrienne Shea ’08. “We dug ourselves a hole we couldn’t get out of.”
Entering the second period with a new attitude, the Cardinals came out better. Unfortunately, this was not reflected on the scoreboard, as the Mules got the only tally of the stanza, entering the third with a comfortable 4-0 lead.
In the third period, Wesleyan refused to give up, continuing to play with passion. The Cards finally got on the board about four minutes into the period. With Colby on a power play, Hannah Jackson ’09 was able to score a beautiful short-handed goal, her fifth of the year. This would be the only score of the game for the Cardinals, however, as Colby would light the lamp one more time for the 5-1 final.
“It’s unfortunate that we let the Colby opportunity slip away,” Shea said. “But we did build some momentum in the second two periods that we were able to carry into Saturday.”
A revitalized Wesleyan team showed up for the game against Bowdoin, as the Cardinals played with great intensity from the opening faceoff. Having lost to the Polar Bears earlier in the year, revenge was clearly on the team’s mind, and it was reflected in its play.
“Last time we played Bowdoin we played one of our worst games of the year, and they beat us pretty badly,” Shea said. “I think we had a chip on our shoulder from that loss, and we really felt like we had something to prove.”
The Saturday game was the opposite of Friday night. Instead of coming out flat, the Cardinals came out strong, and scored the first goal of the game six minutes in, as Heather Lindgren ’11 scored her fifth of the season. The Polar Bears got on the scoreboard late in the period, knotting the score at one at the end of the first. Though they would have liked the lead, the Cardinals were happy with their first period play.
“It was a good period for us,” Shea said. “We scored first, we controlled the pace, and we had some great offensive opportunities.”
In the second, some undisciplined play by the Cardinals led to four Bowdoin power plays. Luckily, they did not lead to any goals for the Polar Bears, as the Wesleyan penalty killing unit, led by goaltender Rachel Stemerman ’09, was equal to the task. It was a great period for Stemerman, who stopped an astounding 23 shots in the frame, and 42 in the game overall.
Entering the third still tied at one, the Cardinals again took the lead on Lindgren’s second goal of the game, assisted by Jackson. Sena Ito ’11 and Julia Heffelfinger ’11 also added assists on the two goals. The lead was short-lived, as Bowdoin was able to tie the score at two halfway through the period. This is how the game would end, as the final 10 minutes of regulation and the overtime session provided no goals. Still, it was a great game for the Cardinals.
“It was a fast, physical game, and we really fought until the end,” Shea said.
Hoping to have found their stride, the Cardinals will travel to upstate New York for a weekend series with Hamilton College. The first of the two games will be Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday afternoon tilt at 2 p.m.
“Next weekend will be a really fun series. Hamilton is definitely beatable and I think we’ve turned a corner in our play,” Shea said.