Their talents are not limited to one season. Emileigh Mercer, Shavonne Lord and Kate Gormley are multisport athletes at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. But as standout players on the Polar Bear field hockey team, the local trio helped celebrate the college's first NCAA title in any sport last month.
With a 4-3 win over Middlebury College, Bowdoin capped a 20-0 season, becoming just the seventh field hockey team in Division 3 history to run the table all the way through the playoffs.
"I couldn't be happier or more proud of them," Bowdoin coach Nicky Pearson said. "All three were on the field at the conclusion of the national championship game and their contributions were immeasurable to the success of our team."
As Bowdoin's goalie, Newton native Mercer led the collegiate Division 3 with a school-record 0.33 goals-against average and was named to the NCAA all-tournament team. The junior also set a school record with 19 wins.
Mercer, who was a Bay State Conference field hockey all-star for Newton North High, also plays goalie for the Bowdoin women's ice hockey team. In six games last winter, she notched a 5-1 record, with a 1.32 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Lord, a sophomore from Shrewsbury, was fifth on the Bowdoin squad in scoring with four goals (including a game winner) and three assists. Back at Shrewsbury High, she was a league all-star, team captain and team MVP in hockey and softball, and shared Central Mass. Player of the Year honors in field hockey.
She also played shortstop for the Bowdoin softball team that won a school-record 26 games last spring, when she batted .339 in 37 games.
Lord's twin sister, Sarah, who was named Shrewsbury High's Female Athlete of the Year and was a captain of the track team, is a sprinter on the Bowdoin track team.
Gormley, a junior from Chestnut Hill, had two goals and four assists for Bowdoin this fall, including the game-winner against Williams in the regular season.
An All-Independent School League selection at Noble & Greenough School, she also competes for the Bowdoin women's squash team at No. 2 singles. Gormley's older sister, Margaret, is a 2006 graduate of Bowdoin, where she was a field hockey All-American.
Hart, a freshman point guard out of Needham High, was second in team scoring at 12.1 points per game and tops in assists (4.6 per game) and 3-point field goals (13) while hitting all 26 of her free throws. Gomez, a senior captain who plays guard and forward, was averaging 5.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She is a graduate of the Noble & Greenough School in Dedham.
Slated to play Simmons College on Thursday, Tufts was hoping to tie the school record by going 8-0.
Gomez, an Independent School League All-Star for four years at Nobles, earned a spot in the Tufts starting lineup in her sophomore year. She was a key player last season, finishing third on the team at 9.4 points per game and adding 5.7 rebounds per contest. She led the team with 56 steals and 68 offensive rebounds and is just now rounding into form after being slowed by a lower leg injury.
"Jenna is our emotional and vocal leader," said Tufts coach Carla Berube. "She sets the tone every day and she has matured as both a leader and a basketball player. She's our most versatile player and is a tireless worker on defense, always guarding our opponents' best offensive players."
Hart, who recorded 16 points and seven assists while playing the entire game during a 57-43 victory over Brandeis, was a two-year captain and three-time Bay State Conference All-Star at Needham High. Her squad won the Division 1 South championship last winter.
"Colleen emerged as our starting point guard at the start of preseason," Berube said, "and has done a phenomenal job thus far. She's incredibly poised for a freshman and is our best on-the-ball defender."
The Rivers' girls will open against Dana Hall at 7:30 p.m., while the Rivers' boys play Milton Academy at 9. The girls' championship game is set for Saturday at 2:30 p.m., followed by the boys' championship game at 4:30.
The girls' tournament field features Rivers, Dana Hall, Middlesex School and Milton Academy. The boys' tourney field is Belmont Hill, Millbrook School, St. Sebastian's, Pingree, Pomfret, Milton Academy, and Buckingham, Browne & Nichols.
The sixth-grader caught one pass for a touchdown, rushed for two more scores and had a late-game interception to preserve the win.
"It's nice for all the boys to know that their hard work has paid off and that we have something to build on," said athletic director Kim Chorosiewski. "You'd have thought they'd won the Super Bowl."
Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com or at 508-820-4223.
