COLLEGE CONNECTIONS: Mike Lowe

Making a name for themselves

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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The women's basketball team at Bowdoin College has set high standards for the rest of the school's teams, but the field hockey team hasn't done that badly either.

Off to a 10-0 start for the first time in school history, the Polar Bears have won at least 10 games for 14 consecutive seasons. Now, it seems, folks from outside New England are noticing.

The Polar Bears are ranked sixth in Division III in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll.

"I knew coming back we'd have a strong team," said junior midfielder Gessy LePage of Cumberland. "Even though we lost a couple of really effective players, we had the same goalie back and I knew that we were definitely going to come up strong.

"But I had no idea how strong. I wasn't expecting anything close to being where we are now."

Junior Kate Leonard of Eliot is the goalie, a pretty good one for somebody who didn't play field hockey until she attended Phillips Andover Academy after Marshwood High.

Leonard, who also plays hockey, tried out for field hockey three years ago at the request of her roommate-now-teammate, Taryn King. Leonard has three shutouts, a 0.60 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage.

"She's just someone who's really grown up in college," said Coach Nicky Pearson, in her 10th season. "Technically, she's sound and she makes good decisions. Athletically, she's just incredible and she has probably the best footwork on this team."

The key to the Polar Bears' success has been their depth, resilience and determination.

"They have really shown a lot of determination when they're playing," said Pearson. "We've had some really close games (four one-goal games, including two in overtime). They really have just continued to play for as long as it's going to take to come away with a win."

The depth helps the Polar Bears wear down teams in the second half.

"We play for each other," said LePage. "I think we're a very trusting team when we're on the field . . . and we want to perform our best so we can perform for each other. I've experienced that a little bit on other teams I've played on, but it's very strong here.

"We're sort of all on the same page with the same goal. It's just really fun."

Pearson said the team pulls together.

"It certainly wasn't our goal at the start of the season to have an undefeated year," she said. "We're still relatively young, so really we have just taken it one game and one practice at a time. We haven't looked too far ahead and we certainly don't want to start doing that now."

Leonard, a pre-med major, said the national ranking is nice but it won't add any pressure to this team.

"We're pretty confident," she said. "We have a desire to win and this team definitely plays for each other. I don't think the pressure is that high yet."

And if the Polar Bears need any role models, they've got one right on campus.

LePage said the women's basketball team "has been a huge inspiration, I think, for all the sports teams here. They have a power so visible when they get out there. They're very confident, and that confidence is something we're definitely working toward."

The Polar Bears have a nice Maine accent. In addition to Le- Page and Leonard, the roster includes forward Tamlyn Frederick of Dover-Foxcroft, defender Allyson Craib of Harrison and Julia King of Yarmouth.

Of note: The Bowdoin women's basketball team carried its on-court success over to the classroom last season. The Polar Bears finished 26-3 and won their fifth consecutive NESCAC championship. They also were ranked 20th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association academic honor roll, the only team from the final eight teams in the Division III national tournament to earn that distinction. Bowdoin's grade-point average was 3.352.

"I'm very proud of the diligence last year's team showed toward their studies," said Coach Stefanie Pemper. "Grade-point average doesn't reflect all the important factors in a healthy educational experience, but it does reflect key ones."