Bowdoin College's Kerri St. Denis made 34 saves and the Polar Bears posted a 3-1 win against the Hamilton College Continentals in a 2018 NESCAC Women's Hockey Championship quarterfinal at Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Saturday afternoon.

Fifth-seeded Bowdoin (13-8-3 overall) advances to the semifinals where they will play No. 1 seed Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt., on Saturday, March 3. The Polar Bears upset the Continentals in Clinton, N.Y., for the second straight year. Bowdoin recorded a 1-0 victory in double overtime against Hamilton in the 2017 quarterfinals. The Polar Bears are 4-0 all-time against Hamilton in this event and have a 21-13 record in 17 championship appearances.

Bowdoin didn't score a goal against the Continentals in two regular season games earlier this season. Hamilton shut out the Polar Bears 2-0 in Brunswick, Maine, on Feb. 2 and the teams played to a scoreless tie on Feb. 3.

The Continentals (13-8-4) were seeded fourth for the championship and were making their 16th appearance. Hamilton tied for third in the conference standings with a record of 9-4-3. The Continentals, who were ranked eighth in the Northeast Region by the NCAA, entered the weekend fourth in Division III in scoring defense with 1.08 goals allowed per game and No. 1 in penalty kill at 96.5 percent.

Bowdoin grabbed a 1-0 lead with 6:32 left in the first period on Nell Fusco's third goal this season. Maureen Greason brought the puck down the left side and into the Polar Bears' offensive zone. Greason dropped off the puck for Jess Cloutier and Cloutier's pass from the left faceoff dot found Fusco at the right post for a redirect past Hamilton goaltender Sam Walther '18.

Brooke Solomon gave Bowdoin a 2-0 lead with her sixth goal and team-high 24th point at 6:55 of the second period. Julia Surgenor passed the puck along the boards behind the net to Julie Dachille, who skated out to the right of the goal. Dachille's pass from beside the net found Solomon for a one-timer from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.

Marissa Fichter handed the Polar Bears a three-goal cushion at 11:33 of the third period. Izzi Stoddard forced a turnover near the blue line in the Continentals' defensive zone and passed to Fichter for a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. The goal was Fichter's fifth this season.

Missy Segall '21 finally broke up St. Denis' shutout bid on her team-high 11th goal while the teams skated 4-on-4 with 6:13 remaining in the third. Segall carried the puck into Hamilton's offensive zone and dropped it off for Kate Piacenza '21. Piacenza passed the puck from above the left faceoff circle back to Segall for a wrist shot from the high slot that beat St. Denis to her left side. Mairead Carey '18 also picked up an assist on Segall's goal.

The Continentals tried to rally late in the third as they had a power play and pulled Walther for a two-skater advantage for the final 1:57 of the period. Hamilton also had a 5-on-3 advantage for 48 seconds late in the second period but didn't capitalize.

Walther made 21 saves for the Continentals, who enjoyed a 35-24 shot advantage, including 16-9 in the third period. Hamilton ended up 0-for-8 on the power play while Bowdoin was scoreless in four chances.