Hamilton’s field hockey team (9–7, 4–6 NESCAC) is headed to the NESCAC Championship semifinals after a thrilling upset over nationally-ranked №4 Bowdoin College (14–2, 9–1 NESCAC) on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Bowdoin College Polar Bears were seeded second in the tournament and the Continentals were seventh. Bowdoin won the teams’ earlier regular season matchup in a close 3–2 overtime win. Three of the Continental’s other NESCAC losses were also decided in overtime.
Hamilton’s coach, Missy Mariano, noted, “Even with so many overtime games, this group never lost their enthusiasm or drive to succeed and it paid off over the last third of our season.”
After a tough early stretch, the team’s fight and ambition finally started to show; following their regular season loss to Bowdoin on Oct. 5, they won five of their six following games. With their crucial quarterfinal win this past Saturday, they have now won five games in a row and are determined to win another.
The quarterfinal match remained scoreless until over 40 minutes of play had passed and Bowdoin got the ball past Hamilton goalie Maggie Reville ’22, who had already made five of her seven total saves at that point. Reville currently leads the conference in both total saves (120) and save percentage (.811).
With only four minutes left in the hard-fought game, captain Lizzie Clarke ’20 made a penalty shot to tie the score 1–1. Around two minutes later, she scored again from around the top of the arc; Maura Holden ’23 assisted the critical game-winning goal.
This is the first time the Continentals have made it to the NESCAC semifinals since the 2016 season. For the past two years in a row, they have lost in the quarterfinals to Trinity College. The team is undoubtedly excited and prepared for their very real shot at a conference championship.
When asked what has contributed to the team’s gritty success this season, Coach Mariano said, “Our 2019 team has brought such a positive dynamic to the field each and every day. Their willingness to work hard and learn has been a true joy to coach. Being a younger team, the rate of improvement throughout the season has been phenomenal.”
Mariano also mentioned the significant influence of the two seniors and captains, Clarke and Michaela Giuttari ’20: “Both Lizzie and Michaela have done an amazing job leading this program both on and off the field. Their work ethic, devotion to the team, and knowledge of the game have set the standard for their younger teammates to emulate this season and into the future.”
Clarke’s performance in the first-round game earned her honors as both the NESCAC Player of the Week and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Offensive Player of the Week. Giuttari recently broke two all-time program records in career goals and points scored. The two are evidently hoping to lead their team, as they have all season, to a semifinal win against Middlebury College in Middlebury, V.T. on Saturday, Nov. 9.
