BRUNSWICK, Maine – Bowdoin College's Sam Raye-Steiner scored the game-winning goal in overtime and the Polar Bears outlasted the Hamilton College Continentals 13-12 in a 2025 NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinal at Bowdoin's Whittier Field on Saturday, April 26. 
 

Season Update

• Hamilton (7-8 overall) was the seventh seed for the championship. 
• The sixth-ranked Polar Bears (13-2) are the second seed for the championship. Bowdoin is second in the NCAA Division III Region I rankings and has won seven of its last eight contests.  

How It Happened

• Bowdoin gained possession on the opening faceoff in overtime, but PJ Flood '27 forced a quick turnover and scooped up the ground ball. Hamilton called a timeout to draw up a play and its lone shot attempt following the break sailed wide.
• Bowdoin responded with a timeout of its own and regrouped on offense. Raye-Steiner found the back of the net with 2:16 remaining and lifted the Polar Bears into the NESCAC Championship semifinals. 
• Thomas Healy '25 got Hamilton on the board early, striking less than three minutes into the first quarter.
• Bowdoin answered quickly, but the Continentals reclaimed the lead just 36 seconds later as Jesse Delinsky '26 found the net off a feed from Ryan Olivo '28 with 10:48 remaining.
• Carson Kraus '28 extended Hamilton's lead with a slick wrap-around goal at the 5:07 mark. Just under a minute later, defenseman Riley Chai-Onn '27 capitalized on an empty net, launching a long-range shot from behind the midline to make it 4–1 after Bowdoin pulled its goalie in an attempt to intercept a pass.
• Bowdoin closed the opening quarter with a three-goal run and pulled even at 4-4.
• Hamilton opened the second quarter with Delinsky's second goal of the day, set up by a crisp feed from Healy at the 12:35 mark.
• After the Polar Bears responded and tied it at 5–5 with 9:38 remaining, the Continentals surged ahead with three unanswered goals in a two-minute span and built an 8–5 lead with just under five minutes to play in the half.
• The Polar Bears clawed back to within two, but Hamilton closed the half with a quick two-goal burst. Kraus struck first and Healy followed just 33 seconds later for the Continentals' largest lead at 10–6 heading into halftime.
• Bowdoin outpaced Hamilton 4–1 in the third quarter and trimmed the Continentals' lead to 11–10 heading into the final frame.
• The Polar Bears trimmed the deficit once again with 9:34 remaining in the fourth quarter and eventually tied the score with 4:20 left.
• The Continentals nearly pulled ahead in the final moments of regulation, but shot attempts by Justin Pearl '25 and Healy were denied by Bowdoin goalie Robert Hobbs.

Notes

• Kraus paced Hamilton with a career-high four goals. He scored six goals in the last two games.
• Healy ended up with three goals and an assist. He scored a goal in 14 of 15 games this season. He finished with a team-best 37 points and a team-high 31 goals along with six helpers. Healy sits at 99 career goals going into next season.
• Delinsky recorded three points on two goals and an assist. 
• Will Heher '25 registered his 22nd point of the season on his 19th goal. 
• Chai-Onn scored his first collegiate goal and had two caused turnovers. 
• Olivo notched his ninth goal of the season and handed out his fifth assist. 
• Andrew Higgins '28 scooped up a team-best four ground balls and won 10 faceoffs. 
• Jack Fried '25 made 15 saves and became the fifth Hamilton player with 500 career stops.
• Raye-Steiner finished with a team-high five points on three goals and two assists.
• Jason Lach had three goals and one assist, while Patrick Fitzgerald also scored three goals. 
• Casey Ryan added four points on one goal and a team-best three helpers and added three ground balls. 
• Chris Berry scored twice, and Huck Trafton had one goal and one assist. 
• Cam Wietfeldt won 15-of-21 faceoffs for Bowdoin.
• Alex Byrne and Jack Pyne scooped up four ground balls apiece. 
• Hobbs stopped eight shots and picked up a team-best five ground balls.