Jen Bowdoin '98: Tougher Than Her Position
Women's hockey team co-captain finds sitting out part of the season
with hip injury is toughest job
By Peter Guiney
Sports Information Intern
There is nothing easy about being a goalie. This player must have the
confidence of a lion, the skin of an alligator, and the patience of a surgeon.
Very few positions in sport are so heavily relied on by teammates as a goaltender.
Few position players realize what it takes to be a goalie, how difficult
it is to stop that small rubber disc that can change direction as quickly
as that silver ball in a pinball machine.
Stopping that puck can be a great feeling, but when the goalie has to
fish it out of the back of the net, with the red goal light shining behind
her, it can be a terrible feeling. Harvard's Jen Bowdoin has had to deal
with a different type of pain this year. The type of pain that felt worse
than any goal that has flown past her.
Bowdoin, the lone senior and a co-captain on the team, had to sit out
during the beginning of the season because of a hip injury. Even though
she has proved her value to the program throughout her career, Bowdoin had
a very difficult time watching from the bench, knowing she couldn't help
the Crimson.
Like many female players today, "JB," as her teammates call
her, had to play on boys' teams growing up. As was often the case, few of
her teammates and coaches had confidence in her, simply because she was
a girl. When she was 12, Bowdoin was on a team whose coach didn't want to
play her because he thought she might get hurt. His reluctance may also
have had something to do with the fact that the other goalie on the team
was his son. However, Bowdoin had enough support from her parents to stick
with hockey.
"It was really frustrating because coaches started to make excuses
for why they wouldn't play me," says Bowdoin. "My parents supported
me through everything, especially my dad, who would always look for places
for me to play. My mom never really loved the fact that I was playing hockey,
because of the contact, but they were both very supportive of me wanting
to play."
These early challenges seemed easy compared to what she had to endure
this year.
Last July, Bowdoin had a second round of hip surgery in fewer than six
months to repair torn muscles. Knowing that she would not be able to skate
when the team started up in October, Bowdoin was aware it would be difficult
to not be able to make a contribution to the team.
"I didn't feel like part of the team because I was watching from
the bench. I tried to get involved with the team as much as I could, but
it was still difficult. It was especially hard to watch the games, knowing
that I should be out there, but I just tried to stay positive and help out
any way I could."
After only one day back at practice, Bowdoin was called into service
against Boston College on Nov. 23. Sophomore goalie Crystal Springer had
sprained her knee in the previous day's game against Dartmouth, and would
not be able to strap on the pads to face the Eagles. With little time to
prepare or get nervous for the game, Bowdoin -- who holds the single-game
(53) and single-season (836) save record -- jumped in between the pipes
and made 27 saves and notched a 3-1 victory for Harvard.
"I was really excited to play, but I didn't feel comfortable in
the net at all. It was almost as if I had to figure out how to play all
over again. I just tried to focus on doing the basics and getting some confidence
back. It helped that my dad was in the stands. He was really fired up to
see me play and it served as a reminder of how supportive my parents have
been throughout my career."
The Crimson finished the 1997-98 campaign with a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime
loss to New Hampshire in the first round of the ECAC playoffs. Harvard finished
the season with a 14-16 record, the most wins since 1988-89, and made its
first playoff appearance in three years. Bowdoin finished off her Crimson
career with 2,002 saves and a 3.82 goals against average.
Over the past four years she has not only left her mark on the ice, but
also in the classroom. She was named to the Academic All-Ivy League team
this past winter, with a 3.30 GPA as a psychology concentrator.
Many people think of goalies as a different breed. Why would anyone want
to get in front of those hard shots? It's all about taking the good with
the bad. Stopping a breakaway in overtime, or letting in a softie late in
the third. Goalies deal with it all the time, and there may be one common
thread that ties them all together.
"The pressure is always on you," says Bowdoin, "and having
your team being able to count on you all the time is what makes a goalie
special."
Copyright
1998 President and Fellows of Harvard College
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