The Hamilton College field hockey team earned one of the program's biggest wins ever Saturday afternoon, beating the visiting Bowdoin Polar Bears 2-1 in overtime at Goodfriend Field. The victory was the Continentals' first in eight tries against Bowdoin (who's ranked second in the latest national coaches' poll) and clinched a berth in the upcoming NESCAC Championship.

Hamilton is now 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the NESCAC. The Polar Bears are the fourth nationally ranked team the Continentals have beaten this season, joining Middlebury (third), Amherst (10th) and Williams (19th).

Tatiana Bradley '19 scored the game-winning goal 5:13 into the extra session. The Continentals scored on two of the three shots on goal they had in the game. Bowdoin, who was outscoring its opponents 37-6 through 10 games, outshot the hosts 28-10 and had a 13-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Bradley's fifth goal of the year was assisted by Margaret Revera '18, who sent a pass across the circle to her to set up the game winner. Bradley also scored the game-winning overtime goal against Amherst.

The Continentals got on the board first, scoring late in the first half. A shot by Michaela Giuttari '20 that missed its mark was chased down by Eva Rosencrans '17, who collected the ball and slammed it off the backboard.

The goal was Rosencrans' 12th of the season and extended her Hamilton career record to 49. She ranks fifth in the NESCAC this year.

The visitors tied the score with just 7:23 left in regulation. Following a scramble in front of the Continental cage, Johna Cook jammed the ball home for her fourth goal of 2016.

The Polar Bears had a pair of chances to pick up the winning goal in regulation; with just under five minutes left Hamilton goaltender Julia Booth '19 made the last of her season-high tying 10 saves on a shot by Juliana Fiore. Bowdoin was awarded a penalty corner as time expired, leading to a shot by Emily McColgan that Sarah Kane '19 stopped for her second defensive save of the game.

The win moved the Continentals to within a game of first place in the NESCAC standings (Bowdoin, Trinity and Tufts are tied atop the standings with 5-2 records. Hamilton wraps up conference play Saturday with a noon game at Colby; the Continentals are in the running for a top-four seed in the eight-team NESCAC Championship, which would give them a home game in the quarterfinals.

Hamilton is back in action Tuesday, hosting SUNY Oneonta in a 5 p.m. game at Goodfriend Field.