Although its 2005-06 campaign ended with a bitter 8-2 loss to Middlebury in the NESCAC championship game, the Bowdoin women's hockey team had good reason to look forward to this season, as the squad returned its top eight scorers, three All-NESCAC players, and an All-American defenseman.
But midway through the summer, the Polar Bears lost one of the pieces to the puzzle.
After piloting the team to 140 wins and two NESCAC titles in eight seasons, coach Michelle Amidon left Brunswick in July to become USA Hockey's first-ever Director of Women's Hockey.
Bowdoin did not have to look far for Amidon's successor, however, promoting two-year assistant Heather Farrell, just 25 years old, to the head coaching job. While some might have expected a drop-off in success with a first-year coach at the helm of the program, the Polar Bears have compiled a 9-4-2 record, good for a second place ranking in NESCAC and a No. 10 ranking in the latest United States Hockey Online poll.
In fact, for Farrell, being a young coach has its advantages, especially when she can counter potential shortcomings by drawing on her time under Amidon's tutelage.
"I'm able to relate to my players very well, since I was in their shoes not too long ago," Farrell said. "But I also think that having a mentor like Michelle, I'm able to be prepared for the more veteran coaches in this conference."
Bowdoin also overcame inexperience in goal, where two freshmen, Samantha Schwager and Kelly Keebler, have combined for three shutouts in fifteen starts. Schwager has been in net for six of the team's victories, while Keebler, who has played in four of the last five games, has posted an impressive 1.23 goals-against average.
"Schwager and I have gotten used to the same routine," Keebler said. "Practices are really competitive because we are both fighting for the same position. During games, the goalie on the bench keeps her eyes open to give the starter an idea of how she's playing, or if there's something we need to change. Even though we are constantly fighting for the same position, we are still teammates, and that comes first, before everything else."
Both Farrell and her goalies have benefited from the contributions of several veteran players. Senior tri-captain Meghan Gillis, the team's leading scorer this season, ranks in Bowdoin's all-time top six in goals scored, assists, points, power play goals, game-winning goals, and hat tricks. Classmate Katie Forney is tied for fourth in the NESCAC in assists. They lead an offensive attack that has out-shot its opponents in 12 of 15 games, taking the burden off of the team's rookie goalies and placing pressure on opposing defenses.
"We are a very offensive-minded team, and our forecheck is very good at this point, which allows us to get a lot of shots on the other goalies," Farrell said.
The presence of junior All-American defenseman Kristen Cameron has also eased the pressure on Schwager and Keebler.
"As a goalie, players like Kristen make goaltending a much easier job because they know where they need to be and how to prevent breakdowns," Keebler said. "With her coverage in front of the net, I feel more comfortable knowing she's right there to take care of any rebounds I give."
A team effort will be necessary for Bowdoin to prevail in its next contest, a Friday night match-up against Middlebury, ranked third nationally and first in NESCAC. A victory over the Panthers will enable the Polar Bears to avenge a Jan. 6 4-1 loss at home to Middlebury and secure Bowdoin's first win against a ranked opponent in five attempts this season.
"A lot of those games have been one-goal games," Farrell said. "We've been in every game. Winning some of the one-goal games that we've been tying or losing is what we're trying to focus on now."
The Polar Bears have extra motivation to put together a strong effort in Middlebury this Friday. Since defeating the Panthers to win the 2004 NESCAC title, the Polar Bears are 1-6 against the three-time defending NCAA champions, yielding an average of five goals per game to the Panthers. The perennial rivals have met in the last four NESCAC title games, with Middlebury taking three of those contests by outscoring Bowdoin 17-3.
"Every time we play Middlebury, it's obviously a big game, considering the past history between the two schools," Gillis said. "I think that both clubs get very, very motivated to play against one another. This weekend will be huge for us in terms of national and conference standings."
