The Hamilton women’s soccer team, fresh off a great season last year, looks to go deeper in the NCAA tournament. Photo by Josh McKee.
As September rolls around, so does the fall sports season on the hill. Starting Sept. 6, Hamilton’s fall sports teams begin competition, with Women’s Soccer at Williams kicking off the first match of the year. Play starts at 4:00p.m. on Tuesday and live coverage of the match is available on the NESCAC Sports Network.
The Continentals look to continue strong after a historically successful season which saw them go twelve matches unbeaten and ranked 11th in the nation in late October. That unbeaten run, stretching from the start of their 2021 campaign on Sept. 8 to Oct. 23 included matchups against nationally ranked 12th-ranked Williams, fourth-ranked Amherst, 22nd-ranked Middlebury and 13th-ranked Tufts. They ended the season unbeaten at home and 14–3–2 overall, Women’s Soccer’s most successful season in years.
The Continentals’ regular season success earned them a trip to the NCAA tournament to cap off the fall. After dispatching Johnson and Wales 3–2 in the first round, Hamilton fell to third-ranked William Smith on Nov. 14. It was the first time the Women’s Soccer team has advanced to the second round of the tournament since 2010, a great achievement to cap off a fantastic season.
Rylie Mutton ’23, one of the team captains for the upcoming season, shared her thoughts on the team’s 2021. “Last year we really made an impact on the NESCAC, one that other teams didn’t expect of us,” said Mutton. “Internally as a team we knew we could achieve more.” While 2021 was decidedly positive, exceeding team expectations and making a mark on the league, the players knew they could make their mark even more, particularly in the postseason.
Many standout Continentals from last season are returning to the squad, like NCAA all-region selections Mutton, Hyla Mosher ’23 and Shayna Polsky ’25. Mutton won a NESCAC Player of the Week award in late September last year. Mutton and Mosher were the focal points of Hamilton’s attack in last year, scoring eight and nine goals respectively, as well as Olivia Zubarik ’25, Caroline Dawson ’23 and Erin Rayhill ’25, all of whom had at least six points. With these returners, the team should enjoy a similarly potent offensive season in 2022.
Riley Mutton ’23, returning team captain and a NESCAC Player of the Week last year, looks to build on a successful 2021 season. Photo courtesy of ELSA/Getty Images.
Moving forward, expectations will be high for Head Coach Colette Gilligan and her team, but they believe they can have an even stronger season this fall. After a midweek trip to Williamstown, the Conts look forward to a match at Trinity on Saturday at 2:00p.m.
Four out of the team’s first five matches are away to start 2022, with trips to Middlebury (Saturday, Sept. 17) and Utica University (Sunday, Sept. 18) following a matchup with SUNY Oswego at home on Tuesday, Sept. 13. It is challenging to start the year away from home so much, but if Hamilton can come away from their start in form, they will have set an important precedent for the rest of the season.
“Coming into this year having the majority of the same starting lineup, it is easy to be hopeful that we can perform as well, or even better, than last year,” said Mutton. They have set the groundwork, and now they are looking for even more results. “It has always been a team goal for us to win the NESCAC and make it farther in the NCAA tournament, and I believe we have the personnel for that,” Mutton added.
With the core of the team returning and the whole squad focused, this season could be special for Hamilton Women’s Soccer. Stay tuned for home matches, and be sure to join the crowd and support them along with the rest of Hamilton’s fall sports teams.