The Bowdoin College men’s soccer team will open its 2019 season at the University of New England on Wednesday afternoon, looking to replace a number of veteran starters and with a group of promising, young players.
The Polar Bears finished their 2018 campaign with a winning record for the sixth straight season under head coach Scott Wiercinski, the longest stretch of winning seasons by a coach in program history. Finishing with a record of 9-5-2, four of Bowdoin’s five losses were by a single goal and four of their losses came to teams that qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament, including season-ending one-goal losses to eventual national champion Tufts and Amherst.
2019 Preview
Despite the loss of a five-member senior class, all of whom were four-year contributors, the Polar Bears return a number of starters and will regain a number of players who were sidelined with injuries in 2018.
Seven players started at least ten games a year ago, including backs Dylan Reid and Justin Miller along with goaltender Chris Kingston, who stepped into a starting role as a first-year last fall and posted a 0.94 GAA in 13 games. Bowdoin’s top offensive threat will likely be Drake Byrd, who started all 16 games last season and scored five goals with three assists.
On the Schedule
Bowdoin opens its season with three straight road games, including a key early-season clash at Amherst on September 7 before returning home to Pickard Field against Middlebury on September 14. The NESCAC promises again to be the top conference in Division III soccer and the Polar Bears will play home games against Wesleyan (Sep. 21), Hamilton (Oct. 5), Colby (Oct. 23) and Williams (Oct. 26).
Follow Online
Fans can check out broadcasts of home games on the Northeast Sports Network as well as live statistics for every home game at GoUBears.com You can also follow the team on the free Bowdoin Front Row app, available on the App Store for Apple users and Google Play for Android users as well as the Bowdoin Sports Information email lists available on the Bowdoin Athletics website.