Bowdoin senior netminder Cat MacEachern was rock solid, making 24 saves and bested an equally stellar, 21 save effort by No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point goalie Amy Statz in a close checking 1-0 defensive struggle.
No. 9 Bowdoin (4-3) carried play in the early going, keeping play in the Pointer zone most of the first 5 minutes.
“I thought we came out flying,” said Bowdoin co-captain Rebecca Selden. “It was great to see everyone skating as hard as we could.”
The effort paid off when Meaghan Gillis fought through the defense down the right side, into the corner and got a pass across the crease to Katie Forney, who stuffed it home for her team leading sixth goal.
“I score the ugly goals,” Forney said. “The way we’re going to get goals is rushing the net … we’re just going to have to pound the net.”
Stevens Point (5-3-3) regrouped in the second period.
“We just established the forecheck a little bit better,” said Stevens Point coach Brian Idalski. “We got into some kids hands, forced some turnovers and created some offense off that.”
Stevens Point outshot Bowdoin 21-12 over the final two periods but could not break through.
“They were staying a little bit high on their breakout, which was more effective, but in the end our speed ended up beating them,” Selden said.
Stevens Point continues its eastern road trip playing New England College Thursday at 5 p.m. and No. 2 Plattsburgh Friday, in Henniker, NH at 7 p.m. The Western teams still lag behind the Eastern teams in the rankings.
“You win, you get respect,” Idalski said. “Until the west wins a national championship, I don’t think we have much to carp about.”
