Women's Soccer Team Loses Opener In Double Overtime to Bowdoin, 2-1

BRUNSWICK, N.H.--Fifteen minutes into the second half of Saturday afternoon's Harvard-Bowdoin women's soccer game, Bowdoin halfback Sue McLaughlin booted the ball toward the goal from the 30-yard line. Harvard back Debbie Fields raced toward the ball, headed it and deflected it just out of the reach of Crimson netminder Janet Judge. The ball dribbled past Judge and into the net to break a scoreless tie and give Bowdoin a 1-0 advantage.

Bowdoin still had to put another goal past Judge in double overtime to clinch a 2-1 win over the Crimson, but McLaughlin's tally was indicative of the frustration the Harvard booters, the 1981 Ivy and Eastern champions, experienced on Bowdoin's home turf.

Harvard simply could not put the ball in the Bowdoin net despite dominating much of the play, passing at will, and in general outhustling the Polar Bears. The Crimson out shot Bowdoin 28 to eight, yet the booters' lone score came on a penalty kick. Many of Harvard's shots on goal were off by just a foot or two, but much of Harvard's inability to tally was due to the outstanding play of Bowdoin netminder Catherine Leitch, the Division II and III All New England goalie, and backs Paula Woods and Donna Bibbo, who always seemed to be making key tackles.

"We have the makings of a very good team," Crimson Coach Bob Scalise said after the loss. "But it worries me that we could dominate a game so much and still not score."

Although the Polar Bears are ranked fourth in New England--behind UMass. UConn, and Harvard--Saturday afternoon marked the first time the Crimson has lost Bowdoin in five years. In addition, the contest was Harvard's first overtime defeat in more than a year and a half.

Neither team looked particularly impressive in the first half, as both squads seemed to have difficulty settling down, but Harvard started the second stanza by applying all sorts of pressure on the Polar Bear net. About 15 minutes into the period, Crimson striker Kelly Landry, open in front of the goal slammed a bullet over Leitch's head. The Bowdoin netminder jumped up, fumbled with the ball and just as it seemed that the Crimson had scored, she recovered the rebound.

This brought the almost 100 enthusiastic Bowdoin supporters to their feet, cheering loudly. Bowdoin's level of play picked up from then on and the ball headed down to the Crimson end as McLaughlin broke down field and scored that fateful first goal.

Twenty minutes later, Harvard finally ended its scoring drought when Landry was maneuvering in front of the goal and one of the Bowdoin fullbacks stopped the ball with her hands, drawing a penalty.

Sophomore midfielder Inga Larson put in the ensuing penalty kick to knot the score at 1-1 Regulation time expired with yet another fruitless Crimson flurry in front of the net.

The first overtime period featured Harvard and Bowdoin exchanging shots while goal-keepers Judge and Leitch exchanged saves. And so after 10 minutes of additional play, nothing was resolved.

However, with less than a minute gone in the second overtime. Bowdoin freshman Jill Birmingham took a rebound off the right goal post, booted the ball to teammate Ann Davidson, who slammed it into the left corner for the Bowdoin win.