FIELD HOCKEY: Bowdoin takes care of business in NCAA opener

BRUNSWICK – Told her sixth-ranked Bowdoin College field hockey team looked
very business-like in Wednesday’s 6-1 dismantling of SUNY-New Platz in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament, captain Cathleen Smith had a simple response.

“That’s good,” said Smith, who had scored the fourth goal and created the fifth in a five-goal-in-21-minute spree in the first half.

“Because we take each game we play – especially now that we’re in the NCAAs – like it is a job,” Smith added. “It is our job to get out there and play our game and take our skill to the team that we’re playing.”

With SUNY-New Platz (16-5) dispatched from its first-ever NCAA tournament, the next team to face Bowdoin’s combination of skill, speed and championship aspirations – the Polar Bears won national championships in 2007, 2008 and 2010 – will be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That game will be played Saturday at William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y.

Bowdoin (15-3) is 15-1 in its last 16 NCAA tourney games and has now won 32 straight at Ryan Field. Its losses this year have been one-goal setbacks to NESCAC rivals No. 1 Middlebury and Tufts (14-2), who are also in the tournament.

Tufts will be in Geneva with Bowdoin.

In last weekend’s NESCAC tournament, Bowdoin beat Tufts in the semifinal then lost in penalty strokes to Middlebury in the title game.

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