No. 23 women’s lacrosse (3-1, 2-1 NESCAC) defeated the Bowdoin Polar Bears (1-3, 0-3 NESCAC) 9-6 at Farley-Lamb Field on Saturday. The Ephs came back from a 5-4 halftime deficit and held the Polar Bears to a lone goal in the second half to win the game.
The Ephs entered the season with new leadership, playing under interim head coach Alix Barrale ’93 and assistant coach Maggie Rorke following the departure of former head coach, Alice Lee, after eight seasons.
For the players, following the instruction of a new coaching staff was an easy transition. “The adjustments to the new coaching staff were seamless,” midfielder Paige Nelson ’26 wrote to the Record. “We have installed many new offensive plays, strengthened and tightened up our defense, and have a very open line of communication with our coaches, which I think have been some of the main driving factors of our success.”
After falling 11-8 against the No. 21 Trinity Bantams (4-1, 2-1 NESCAC) in their season opener, the Ephs have gone on a three-game winning streak. Co-captain and attacker Franny Donohue ’26 said that the early loss has since helped shape the Ephs’ mindset. “We were really nervous in the first game, and then realized we want to go about [competing] without as much pressure,” she said. “We just have to go in with confidence and have fun.”
The Ephs were sure not to let Saturday’s cold and windy weather deter their momentum. “Both teams are dealing with the same weather,” midfielder Ainsley Abel ’27 said. “Let’s handle it better.”
The home crowd also turned out at the match despite the weather, boosting the Ephs’ morale. “It’s really nice when the student body comes [to our games], and the parents are super into it,” Donohue said. “That’s always really fun to see, because that really can bring the vibes up.”
The Polar Bears got off to a quick start, scoring two goals just three minutes apart midway through the first quarter. The 2-0 score remained stagnant until attacker Katy McCullough ’26 secured the Ephs’ first goal of the day with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.
Entering the second quarter down 2-1, the Ephs stayed focused. “One phrase that we’re working with this year is ‘Never give up,’” Abel said. “No matter how much we were down … we continued with that mindset.”
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Nelson found the net to tie the game at 2-2. The Polar Bears responded with two more goals in under a minute, including a player-up score following an Eph penalty, extending their lead to 4-2.
Despite being down a player, Donohue responded swiftly to cut the Ephs’ deficit to 4-3. Both teams exchanged goals late in the second quarter, with a second goal from McCullough bringing the Ephs and Polar Bears to a narrow 5-4 game at the end of the half.
During halftime, players credited Coach Barrale with sustaining the Ephs’ energy. “Alix has great motivational halftime speeches and always gets hyped up,” Nelson wrote. “She holds us to a high standard and gives us actionable items to fix in order to succeed.”
The Ephs carried the energy from Barrale into the second half. Just under a minute into the third quarter, Donohue scored, tying the game at 5-5. The Ephs’ defense then tightened as Nelson recorded four caused turnovers in the third quarter. She would finish the game with nine total, almost matching the Polar Bears’ entire team. After a scoreless stretch for both teams, Abel broke the stalemate with a minute left in the quarter, giving the Ephs their first lead of the game at 6-5.
Donohue said the team’s conditioning played a pivotal role in their comeback. “We’re usually able to stay fit throughout the whole game,” she said. “When other teams get tired, we’re able to capitalize on those mistakes.”
The Polar Bears briefly tied the game early in the fourth quarter, but the Ephs took control, with McCullough, Abel, and Donohue each contributing a goal to secure the Ephs’ 9-6 victory.
Goalie Charlotte Cote ’28 recorded a career-high nine saves during the game. According to Donohue, Cote’s strong performance helped motivate the Ephs’ offense. “Having a goalie go and make that stop [makes] you want to go in and translate that on offense to make that save worth it,” she said. “She really came up in big moments, and that was a huge momentum change.”
Looking ahead, the Ephs hope to improve their first-half performance in future games. “We are trying to work on holding our level high right from the start,” Nelson wrote. “It sometimes takes us a moment or two to get into the groove of things, but we want to start off strong and stay strong.”
The team also aims to build on its experienced senior leadership, with the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. “We really want to continue to work as a team and emphasize leadership, throughout the field and off the field,” Donohue said.
The Ephs will return to Farley-Lamb Field on Wednesday, March 18, to host the Southern Maine Huskies (4-1) for the first time. “A phrase we say is ‘Respect all, fear none,’” Abel said. “We are ready to come out hot and represent the NESCAC in a positive light.”
