Garden City, NY...Bowdoin College knocked off its second undefeated team in as many games as the Polar Bears used an 8-2 run in the second half to dash The College of New Jersey's bid for a perfect season as the Lions' women's lacrosse team fell 11-9 in the NCAA Division III semifinals hosted by Adelphi University on Saturday.

The Lions finish their season at 20-1, with those 20 wins being a program record. With the win, the Polar Bears advance into Sunday's Division III National Championship where they will face either SUNY Cortland or Gettysburg College in a 3 p.m. start.

TCNJ had two chances in the final minute to try and tighten the two-goal deficit as Ali Jaeger (Hampton, NJ/North Hunterdon) was stopped from close range by Bowdoin goalie Tara Connolly, while Kathleen Notos (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) fired a shot from in front of the cage high. The Polar Bears had the end line protected as they were awarded possession with 40.3 seconds remaining and then ran out the rest of the clock.

The Polar Bears moved into the game fresh off of unset of top-seeded at previously undefeated Trinity College erased a 5-2 deficit at the half outscoring the Lions 9-4 over the final 30 minutes.

Connolly played a huge role in Bowdoin's win as finished with 13 saves, including four during a flurry early in the second half that kept the Polar Bears close.

“It was hard fought both ways,” TCNJ head coach Sharon Pfluger said. “Perhaps our shooting was a little off today because we were right there. I don't think we shot wisely.”

The opening 30 minutes belonged to both goalies as TCNJ's Mary Waller (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) and Connolly each finished with seven saves. Waller was outstanding in free-position shots limiting the Polar Bears to only one goal on five chances in that span.

TCNJ did have more offensive chances during that time and never trailed in the opening frame as Alex Spark (Harvey Cedars, NJ/Southern Regional) opened the scoring on a nice feed from Lauren Pigott (Jobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) 3:22 into the game.

The Lions made it 2-0 as Jillian Nealon (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central) scored from Jaeger Alison just over three minutes later.

The early run for the Lions continued thanks to a tremendous play by defender Claire Engelman (Colts Neck, NJ/The Peddie School). Engleman knocked the ball free from a Bowdoin attacker rushing the Lion net and then quickly scooped up the ground ball to start the transition up the field. An up-field to Smith then resulted in a Bowdoin foul and Spark deposited her free-position attempt in the net for a 3-0 lead.

The Polar Bears netted their first goal with 20:33 left on the clock, but the Lions regained that three-goal margin when Pigott cashed in a pass from Jaeger forcing Bowdoin to take a timeout.

The teams traded goals over the final 10:53 with the Polar Bears scoring at that time, while Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) sent a free-position shot behind Connolly with 3:15 left before the break.

Mitchell, Spark, and Jaeger all finished with two goals for the Lions, while Jaeger and Mitchell also had two assists apiece.

At the other end of the field, Waller finished with 10 saves.

“So incredibly difficult,” noted Pfluger of putting the successful season in perspective. “We are just so proud of them.”