The winter sports season is in the home stretch, as all participating teams on campus reach the final stages of competition for this 2021–22 season. With different teams on different timelines for postseason play, the goal of success at the NESCAC or national level is still within reach for several squads. Here is an update on where all of the winter teams stand.
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team wrapped up its season this past weekend, falling at home to Colby in a first-round NESCAC Tournament matchup by a score of 64–58. Some foul trouble from senior captain and defensive anchor Nick Osarenren ’22 made the loss a particularly tough pill to swallow, as some questionable touch fouls swung the momentum several times during the game. Osarenren fouled out with four minutes left in the game with Colby’s lead at five. Despite an Eric Anderson ’22 three pointer with 2:04 remaining that gave Hamilton its first lead since late in the first half, Colby executed late and pulled away in the final seconds. The team finishes the season 12–13 overall with a 4–6 record in NESCAC play.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team went on the road as the tenth seed in the NESCAC Tournament, falling to Wesleyan 63–52. As she has all season long, Kelcie Zarle ’22 led all scorers with 22 points, finishing the season with an impressive 19.5 points per game. Trailing by four at halftime, it was a 19–11 third quarter in favor of Wesleyan that proved decisive. The team finishes the season at 9–13 overall with a 2–7 NESCAC record. The most impressive win came in late January, when they went on the road and beat Amherst, who has been a top-ten nationally ranked team all year long, with only two losses to their name on the entire season.
Women’s Ice Hockey
The women’s hockey team will be hosting its NESCAC quarterfinal game, earning the fourth seed in the conference. They will face off against a tough matchup in fifth-seeded Williams, who has already claimed two victories against Hamilton this season. The team has surged late, winning three of its last four. Nancy Loh ’23 (13 goals, 11 assists), Hyla Mosher ’23 (six goals, 10 assists), and goaltender Sidney Molnar ’22 (.928 save percentage) will look to lead the way in a packed Russell Sage Rink.
Men’s Ice Hockey
Postseason play opens up this weekend for the men’s hockey team. They will head to Wesleyan for a NESCAC quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Feb. 26. As the fifth seed in the tournament, the team avoided a first-round matchup, with a bye that puts them straight through to the quarters. They have faced off with Wesleyan, the fourth seed, twice already this year; both ended in losses, the first a 4–3 overtime thriller. With a record of 10–9–1 on the year, the team is led by Matt Gellerman ’24, who has a team-high 15 goals, Grisha Gotovets ’25 (seven goals, 11 assists), and Jordi Jefferson ’22 (six goals, nine assists). A win would extend the season another week, with the semifinals and finals being held on Mar. 5 and 6.
Men’s Squash
The men’s squash team finished third in the Conroy Cup at the 2022 CSA National Collegiate Men’s Team Championships. They took first in their initial group of three in round robin play, racking up back-to-back wins against rival Wesleyan (6–3) and Fordham University (9–0). In the 1–3 playoff round, they fought hard, but fell to Colby 7–2 and eventual champion Hobart 6–3. At first position, Tate Suratt ’23 went 3–1 on the weekend in his matches. The team finishes 27th overall in the nation.
Women’s Squash
The women’s squash team heads to Boston this weekend to participate in the Walker Cup, the Tier C Division of the 2022 CSA National Collegiate Women’s Team Championships. As the seventh seed in the division of eight teams, they will have a great opportunity to improve their ranking for the season. Their quarterfinal matchup will come against number-two Stanford. After this weekend both squash teams will send participants to the CSA National Individual Championships, held from Mar. 4–6 in Philadelphia, PA.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
The women’s swimming and diving team finished eleventh at the NESCAC Championships, earning 467 points as a team. Sam Karlson ’23 continued her incredible season in the pool, recording a school-record-breaking split of 50.72 over 100 yards as part of a relay event. Karlson took another record on the weekend, this time swimming a time of 51.21 seconds in the 100 freestyle, taking fourth place for the event. Lucy Hamann ’22 and Irene Keh ’24 also moved up the all-time school leaderboard with times of 2:04.88 in the 200 backstroke and 2:24.26 in the 200 breaststroke, respectively.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
With a tenth-place finish at the NESCAC Championships at Colby College, the men’s swimming and diving teams wrapped up their season this past weekend. A handful of outstanding individual performances highlighted the event. Jack Jee ’24 broke the all-time Hamilton record in the 100-yard butterfly. His time of 50.14 broke a tie for the record that dated back to 1995. Ethan Del Rosario ’25 nearly set an individual record himself in the 100-yard freestyle. In the preliminary round, he swam a 46.43, good for second on the Hamilton record board.
