Sarah Bargamian ’22 and women’s tennis return to the court this weekend. Photo by Hamilton College.
The fall season gets underway this week with a handful of opening competitions. With the entirety of the fall sports season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2020 season, many athletes will make their long-awaited return to the fields and courts over the next several days. Here is what to look out for on and off the hill this coming week.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team sets off the fall season this weekend, with a two-day invitational at William Smith College spanning from Sept. 4 through 5. The team finished the abbreviated spring season 0–5, facing a brutal schedule of numerous top-five and top-ten nationally-ranked opponents. Lauren Holtzman ’23 and Claire Cutler ’24 will look to lead the charge as the Continentals hope to pick up their first wins of the season.
Field Hockey
The field hockey team opens it season on the road on Wednesday, Sept. 8, taking on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). A historically favorable matchup, the squad beat RPI 6–0 and 7–0 during its last two matchups in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Hamilton field hockey finished 9–8 overall and 4–6 in the NESCAC back in 2019, upsetting Bowdoin in the NESCAC tournament to reach the semifinals. Maura Holden ’23 will look to be one of the top scorers, finishing the 2019 season second on the team with seven goals.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team will head up to Lake Ontario to take on Oswego State in the 2021 opener on Wednesday, Sept. 8. Like other teams that missed out on the entirety of the 2020 season, there will be lots of new faces in key roles. Look for captain Matt Jordan ’22 to anchor a new-look defense and forward Roth Wetzel ’22 to return to goal-scoring form. The team has beaten Oswego State 2–0 in its last two matchups and hopes to kick the season off on the right foot. With 11 promising first years on the roster, the team will feature plenty of new contributors.
Hyla Mosher ’23 and the women’s soccer team take on Williams on Wednesday, September 8. Photo by Hamilton College.
Women’s Soccer
In the lone home competition of the week, the women’s soccer team will face off with perennial powerhouse Williams on Love Field, Sept. 8 at 4:00 p.m. The team is back with some offensive firepower, returning its top three scorers in Cat Gambino ’22, Hyla Mosher ’23, and Caroline Dawson ’24. That trio combined for 23 goals in the team’s last season (2019). Williams finished last season ranked 11th in the country, but with many new faces in both programs, this is a great spot for Hamilton to earn a major NESCAC win early in the season