The Wesleyan field hockey team opened its season in Brunswick, Maine this past weekend to battle  Bowdoin College. The Polar Bears, who are ranked second in the NFHCA Division III pre-season poll, topped the visiting Cardinals by a score of 3-1. Impressively, with this win the Bowdoin squad extended its home winning streak to 24 straight games.

For the majority of the first half, the Polar Bears controlled the action on the field. Within the first ten minutes, Bowdoin had taken three penalty corners. Goalie Tori Redding ’13 was able to deflect the shots aside and keep the game scoreless.

Bowdoin was the first to get on the scoreboard after one of the Polar Bears pounced on a rebound and converted the second effort. Bowdoin scored on another corner opportunity, making the score 2-0 with seven minutes left in the first half.

The Cardinals were able to cut the deficit in half, with Alyssa Murray ’16 assisting older sister senior Taryn Murray’s goal with 4:08 left in the first half.

Unfortunately that was the end of the Cardinal’s scoring. The Polar Bears added one more goal, once again off a corner. Corners were, in fact, the main weakness for the Cardinals in this game, as all three of the goals were scored off them.

When you look at the shot differential, it is impressive that the Cardinals even kept the match so close. Bowdoin outshot Wesleyan 21-5, with Redding tallying 12 saves for the contest.

Wesleyan travels to Wellesley College on Wednesday, Sept. 12 for non-conference action. The team then returns home this weekend for NESCAC games versus Tufts and Hamilton.