Fall sports teams prepare to start seasons

Elizabeth Pacheco Sports Editor

Almost a week before classes started, amidst the stifling heat and rainy days of August, Vassar fall athletes arrived on campus to begin their pre-season training. Despite displacement due to Prentiss Field construction, the athletes have upped their intensity, with most teams holding at least two practices a day. With this dedication, the Vassar community is sure to see some exciting wins and new records made this fall. To learn more about the teams, their coaching staffs and their schedules, visit the Vassar athletics Web site at www.athletics.vassar.edu.

Men’s Soccer
Coach: Andy Jennings (asst. Nate Gibbony)
Captains: Kevin Goldberg ’09 and Ben Fox ’08
Season Outlook: Over the past few years, the men’s soccer team has had difficulty reaching the Liberty League tournament, failing to place in the League’s top five since Fall 2003. Jennings said that the team has one goal this season—to make it to the Liberty League Championship. “If that happens, then we’ll reassess [our goals] at that point,” he said. The returning team “has a tremendous attitude and came in very fit,” said Jennings. Veteran defender Goldberg will again be instrumental for the team along with starting goalkeeper Jason Cetel ’09, who played in the Maccabi Games this summer. Some breakout players Jennings forecasts for this upcoming season include Matt Belli ’09, Alex Freund ’10 and Brian Bianchetti ’10.
Challenges: With only one senior, the Brewers have a young team, which could work either for or against them as they face more experienced teams in their league.
Games to Watch: Every league game is important for the team’s record, but away matches against Stevens Institute on Sept. 26 and Rensselaer on Oct. 13 will be critical.

Women’s Soccer
Coach: Richard Moller (asst. Ashleigh Carter)
Captain: Caitlin Forsyth ’08
Season Outlook: “I am very excited for this fall,” said Moller. “I strongly feel we are coming together as a team very nicely. Consequently, a lot players have the ability to be impact players.” These players include Jordan Hynes ’11, Allison McManis ’11, Meredith Blackwelder ’11 and Emma Kemp ’09, all of whom will be scoring threats.
Challenges: Welcoming nine freshmen to the team this fall, the Brewers are certainly characterized as a young team, which Moller said could make them the League’s “sleeping giant.”
Games to Watch: The team’s first two Liberty League games will be crucial for starting off the season well. Both at home, the first is on Friday, Sept. 21 against Clarkson University and the second is Saturday, Sept. 22 against St. Lawrence University.

Field Hockey
Coach: Judy Finerghty (asst. Cara Dunn)
Captains: Catherine Twardy ’08, Chrissy Lewis ’08, Ashley Rey ’09
Season Outlook: Citing her team’s “solid core,” Finerghty is excited about her team’s prospects. “I’m thrilled with the attitude and approach of the girls,” she said. “They have brought great energy to all practices and have been a personal inspiration.” Along with the large numbers of freshmen and sophomores, the captains will be important players this season. Also critical are Torie Eells ’08 on defense and Katherine Simon ’08, who led the team in scoring last year despite being new to the program.
Challenges: With Prentiss Field construction finally underway, the team has been moved to off-campus fields, where they’ve had the opportunity to practice on turf for the first time. Previously, the team had to practice much more of a “power game” to play on grass, and Finerghty said that this season they’ve had a “complete transition in our style of play” and have been practicing a “much more possession-oriented style of play” in which they are able to take advantage of their “ball and stick skills.”
Games to Watch: Home games will take place at the Hudson Sports Dome, Dietz Stadium and SUNY New Paltz. The team considers every Liberty League game to be important, as well as their two tournaments: the Betty Richey Tournament on Sept. 8-9 (the team’s first time competing outside) and the Seven Sisters Classic on Sept. 15-16.

Men’s Rugby
Coach: Tony Brown (asst. Mark Griffiths)
Captains: Garrett King ’08 and James Cantres ’08
Season Outlook: Ending the year with a strong 19-3 record and then going on to graduate a strong core of seniors, the “men’s rugby team has some big shoes to fill,” said Brown. Veteran forwards Winston Clement ’09 and Jeff Rubesin ’08, along with lock Nick Mason ’08, will provide strong lineouts, while experienced scrumhalf Chris Magnani ’08 will be a support for Conor Boylan ’10, who holds “the key playmaker role.” Boylan and Cantres together could also create a “potent partnership,” instrumental in racking up some wins.
Challenges: With four players returning from shoulder surgeries and another hopefully recovering from a knee surgery by late fall, the team must maintain their intensity to keep in line with the success they’ve had in past seasons.
Games to Watch: Tough games this season include Metropolitan New York Conference games against Fordham University on Sept. 16 and Columbia University on Oct. 21. Finishing in the top of this conference will put in the team in an ideal top spot in the Northeast playoffs.

Women’s Rugby
Coach: Tony Brown (asst. Mark Griffiths)
Captains: Elise Okusami ’09 and Alexis Liakos ’08
Season Outlook: Similar to the men’s side, the team ended last season with a strong 18-5 record, but unlike the men missed out on getting to nationals. Having lost a number of experienced players, success “will require a lot of hard work and commitment,” said Brown. To compensate for these losses, the team will look to Okusami, Alex Milne ’09 and Dani Goodman-Levy ’09, all of whom were selected to the Northeast Under 23 Select side this summer.
Challenges: Having joined the New England Conference this year, the team will face-off against a series of Ivy League opponents for possession of a playoff spot in the Northeast.

Women’s Volleyball
Coach: Jonathan Penn (asst. Antonia Sweet)
Captains: Amanda Hsuing ’08, Alia Al-Khatib ’08, Cat Foley ’08
Season Outlook: The three seniors this year will be crucial to the team’s success by acting as “leaders on and off the court,” said Penn. “They will be heavily involved in our offense and will definitely be the base on which we’re building.” Without any juniors on the team, last year’s starters, sophomores Tess Johnson, Sarah Potts and Caitlin Ly will also hopefully step up and have a greater impact. With this core of strong players, the team aims to win Liberty Leagues again and then return to and advance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
Challenges: Returning to the head coach position following a yearlong sabbatical, Penn began this season without knowing eight players on the team. Having won the past four Liberty League Championships, Penn’s history of success combined with his team’s “group dynamic development” bodes well for another winning season.
Games to Watch: Unlike many other Vassar teams, volleyball doesn’t play regular season Liberty League games, only a conference tournament. The team will face two tough opponent before this tournament: New York University on Sept. 19 and Stevens Institute on Oct. 3.

Men’s Cross Country
Coach: James McCowan (asst. Ron Stonitsch)
Captains: Jamie Anderson ’08, Colin Sanders ’08, Alex Booth ’09 (honorary)
Season Outlook: Despite graduating strong runners last spring, McCowan is optimistic about this season. “What I’m really pleased about is that the core of the team is probably the most mature. [They] came back in excellent shape, incredibly fit and working together really well, not just as individuals,” he said. Returning this year is last year’s All-American Sanders as well as a strong force of juniors including Booth, Anthony Lucero and Andrew Utas. Anderson, Danny McBee ’10, Chris Lewis ’08 and Ges Adams ’10, along with the team’s only freshman, Jonathan Erikson, should also do well.
Challenges: While in excellent shape and with plenty of room for growth, the team still suffers from its relatively small size and lack of depth.
Meets to Watch: September will be a confidence-building month for the team, with the Vassar Invitational on Sept. 8. The important races come toward the end of the season: the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships on Nov. 3 and the NCAA Championships on Nov. 10.

Women’s Cross Country
Coach: James McCowan (asst. Ron Stonitsch)
Captains: Lisl Esherick ’08, Katie Mae Unruhe ’08, Laura Coogan ’09 (honorary)
Season Outlook: With a few runners returning from Junior Year Abroad, the team currently boasts a roster of 19. These athletes include Coogan, who broke records during both indoor and outdoor track seasons, as well as Kirsten Boreen ’09 and Alyssa Charney ’10. “Last season we had some seniors with big personalities,” said McCowan. “This year, though, the team has really started to blossom and come into their own. We have strong senior leadership and a lot of great additions, including some strong freshmen who will make an important contribution.”
Challenges: Losing two of their top five runners to graduation, the team hopes to fill these places.
Meets to Watch: Like the men’s team, September will be a building month in preparation for the ECAC and NCAA meets at the beginning of November.