Hamilton Golf Invitational
Sept. 2 (1:00p.m.) and Sept. 3 (10:30p.m.) @ Yahnundasis Golf Club; New Hartford, N.Y.
The men’s and women’s golf teams tee off the season this weekend with their first and only home tournament of the fall semester. The golf teams will be under the leadership of a new head coach this year, with Lauren Cupp (a Hamilton alumna) officially taking over the title after spending the last six months as interim head coach for the program. Cupp leads a talented roster of men’s golfers led by Joe Tigani ’18, a three-time Division III PING All-Region Team selection who posted a career best round score of 69 at the Williams Invitational last spring. On the women’s side, Libbie Warner ’19 hopes to utilize her veteran leadership to repeat her strong 2016/17 campaign. Both teams will use early season competition to prepare for the NESCAC Golf Championship qualifiers hosted by Trinity College at the end of September.
Men’s Soccer vs. SUNY Oswego
Sept. 5, 4:30p.m. @ Love Field (Hamilton College)
The Continentals face a familiar foe in their home opener on Tuesday. Hamilton took on SUNY Oswego away to open the 2016 fall season, and ended up dropping the game 2–0. The Continentals went on to have a remarkable season on the pitch, falling just short in the NESCAC Championship against Amherst. The men’s soccer team hopes to carry the momentum from last year’s spectacular playoff run into next week’s match-up with the Lakers. The Lakers will have already played two games prior to their arrival to Clinton, NY, kicking off their season this weekend with the Oswego State Men’s Soccer Classic that features games against Houghton and SUNY-Purchase. The Continentals will open the NESAC season against Bates on Love Field on Sept. 9. Hamilton has an experienced core of returning starters balanced with a strong crop of young talent that will ensure the team remains competitive in the top half of the NESCAC this fall.
Women’s Soccer @ Williams
Sept. 6, 4:00p.m. Williamstown, MA
The Hamilton women’s soccer team will square off with a bitter rival to open the 2017 season, battling the Williams Ephs in Massachusetts in what will surely be a tough NESCAC battle. Williams has ended the Continentals’ season in consecutive years, eliminating Hamilton from the NESCAC playoffs in the quarterfinals in both 2015 and 2016. Williams is a constant fixture not only atop the NESCAC, but in the NCAA Division III National Rankings, where the team advances to the NCAA tournament annually. The Ephs made it to the quarterfinals in last year’s national tournament after an upset in penalty kicks in the semi-finals of the conference championship. Williams is ranked №7 in the pre-season Division III poll. The Continentals hope to kickoff the season with an emphatic win against a NESCAC juggernaut to prove themselves as noteworthy contenders for the conference title.
Field Hockey vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Sept. 6, 7:00p.m. @ Goodfriend Field (Hamilton College)
The Hamilton field hockey team looks primed for success in 2017, after a second place finish in the NESCAC in 2016. The Continentals currently sit at 15th in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Top 20 preseason poll. The Continentals welcome back NFHCA third team All-American goalie, Julia Booth ’19, who seeks to anchor a strong back-line. Last year’s leading point-scorer Michaela Giuttari ’20 will begin her assault on the program’s single-season scoring record against the RPI Engineers. The Engineers finished 10–7 overall last year, but struggled against Liberty League opponents, winning just twice against conference foes. The Continentals thrived at home last year, finishing with a 7–1 record at Goodfriend Field. The team will hope to replicate this feat in 2017 beginning with a week one victory over RPI in front of a boisterous home crowd on Wednesday.
