Last weekend's NESCAC field hockey action saw two overtime games, a trio of shutouts, and in the end, three teams tied atop the standings. After blanking Wesleyan 3-0 on Sunday, Bowdoin gained its second conference win to move into a tie with a pair of teams that had already won the day before - Colby on a 4-2 victory over the same Wesleyan Cardinals, and Middlebury, which topped Tufts 1-0 in overtime.
In Bowdoin on Sunday, freshman Marissa O'Neil's scored the final of her three goals in two days. Faye Hargate and Shoshana Kurikoff also tallied goals in the contest, both off of deflections. Bowdoin goalkeeper Gillan McDonald posted a shutout.
McDonald had 12 saves the day before, while O'Neil had her first two goals of the season, as Bowdoin defeated Williams 2-1.
Colby kept its share of the conference lead by doubling up the Cardinals, 4-2, on Saturday. In Waterville, the White Mules scored three first half goals against a beleaguered Wesleyan squad. Just last year, the Cardinals won their second straight ECAC title, but now find themselves 0-2 in the conference and in an unsettling position as NESCAC cellar dwellers.
The final first-place team is Middlebury, which struggled with the Jumbos for all of regulation and nearly a full overtime period before Char Glessner, the conference's leading scorer, netted the game-winner with ten seconds left. It was Tufts' second loss of the season in as many games, though only its first conference defeat. Middlebury improved its overall record to 2-1, but remained perfect in the NESCAC standings.
The other overtime affair of the weekend came in Connecticut, where the host Conn. College Camels finished off Trinity when sophomore forward Emily Huffman scored off a pass from junior wing Christy Basset. The goal, and the win, brought Conn. College's conference record to 1-1, while Trinity failed to win in its first conference game of the year.
Amherst shut down visiting Bates on Saturday, 4-1, with the Bobcats' lone goal coming off the stick of junior forward Johie Farrar. For the host Lord Jeffs, junior forward Abby Ouimet was the story, as she had a pair of goals and assist. Sophomore midfielder Christine Ryan had the fourth goal on a penalty stroke.
It's still early in the NESCAC, but with only one team going to postseason play, every game is that much more important. Another weekend of NESCAC play begins on Saturday. Williams will travel to Wesleyan, Trinity will play at Bates, Amherst is on the road at Conn. College, Middlebury and Bowdoin face off in a game of undefeated teams, and Tufts will visit Colby. The Sunday game will feature Middlebury at Bates.
