Montclair, NJ – Sophomore forward Rachel Kennedy (Trumbull, CT) tipped a shot from the top of circle off a penalty corner with 18:13 remaining in the second half to lift Bowdoin College to a 1-0 victory over top-ranked Montclair State in the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Third Round at Sprague Field on Sunday.

Junior goalkeeper Hannah Gartner (Reistertown, MD) made four saves, including one with no time remaining as the Polar Bears (16-3) now advance to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship which will be played November 22-24 in Virginia Beach, VA. Bowdoin will be making its seventh trip to the national semifinals. The Polar Bears have won three of the last six NCAA titles, the last coming in 2010.

Sophomore goalkeeper Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) stopped six shots for Montclair State, which ended its season 21-2, MSU's second consecutive 20-win campaign. The Red Hawks, who were looking to reach the Final Four for the second straight year, suffered their first home loss in 29 games as it last fell at Sprague Field in October 2011, a 1-0 loss to The College of New Jersey. Montclair also had its 11-game winning streak halted and were held without a goal for the first time this season.

Kennedy's goal snapped a scoreless contest and came on the Polar Bears' sixth penalty corner of the game. Off the insert by senior forward Katie Riley (Hingham, MA), senior Olivia King (Georgetown, MA) fired a shot from the top of the circle. Kennedy, standing just outside the 8-yard penalty stroke mark, was able to redirect the shot past Brattole inside the right post for her 18th goal of the year and second in as many days.

Prior to the goal, Gartner came up with a pair of saves on MSU corners denying Jennifer Tafro (Little Falls, NJ, Passaic Valley) and Brooke Hullings (Delran, NJ, Delran) on back-to-back attempts in the 47th minute.

Brattole came up with a huge pad save on a lifted ball by Emily Simonton (Kennett Square, PA) in the 59th minute and added another again Riley to keep the Red Hawks deficit within a goal.

Montclair State would get two great chances in the closing minute. Freshman Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) tried to redirect a pass on the right post with 1:49 that Gartner got a piece of. The Red Hawks final chance came on a penalty corner as time expired. Tafro blistered a shot from the left that Garnter kicked away. The Polar Bears then cleared the zone to end the game.

Gartner registered her sixth shutout of the year.

Bowdoin outshot Montclair State, 12-7 and finished with an 8-5 edge on penalty corners.