Image taken from Skidmore Athletics
For fans as well as players, the community and camaraderie that comes with college sports is something that was sorely missed at Skidmore last year. Therefore, it has been incredibly exciting that Skidmore’s fall sports were launched back into action this past semester. As winter sports are beginning to pick up again, Skidmore can reminisce on a fall season full of great moments and winning streaks. With some teams making the playoffs and others falling just short of the line, here is a quick recap of the 2021 Fall athletic season for Skidmore’s teams.
Men’s soccer started off their season strong in September with wins against Utica, Keuka, and Manhattanville Colleges, opening their season with a 2-0 win over Utica. They had an exciting win over Union in late September, defeating their biggest rival. A road playoff 1-0 upset in the Liberty League quarterfinals at Rochester Institute of Technology (seeded #3 in the liberty league) highlighted the season. The boys earned a trip to the Liberty League Semifinals at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute against #2 seed Ithaca. Despite great defense all game and excellent saves by goalie Bobby Stratts ‘22, the Thoroughbreds ultimately fell in penalty kicks. Overall, the Men’s soccer team had a very successful season that included really exciting games to watch.The team ended with a 9-5-4 overall record.
Despite a loss to Rochester Institute of Technology at the end of their season on November 2nd, the women’s soccer team also had a fantastic run this fall. While they started out their season with a loss to Mount Saint Mary’s, they quickly redeemed themselves with three wins in a row against Mt. Holyoke (7-0), New Paltz (2-1), and Russell Sage College (3-1). A recent win against Bard College with two goals from senior Carly Craft and assists from Kyra Russman-Araya ‘24, Melissa Haas ‘22, and Paige Karl ‘23 all helped to get the girls to their quarterfinal game. Unfortunately, that is where their path ended; but, with exciting prospects in this year’s freshmen and sophomore class, next year is looking hopeful for women’s soccer. The girl’s ended with a 8-7-1 record, earning a Liberty League playoff spot.
Both Mens and Womens Rowing had two races at Fish Creek this season. This was the first season with Skidmore for brand new head coach Manny Valentin, joining the College from the Saratoga Rowing Association and Advanced Rowing Initiative of the Northeast. Skidmore Crew had their first regatta in early October, with the Men’s 8 (a boat with eight rowers) finishing just behind St. Lawrence and Union. The men’s boat included Nick Casale ‘25, Sam Goldberg ‘25, Kelby Wittenberg ‘23, John Sandberg ‘24, Aaron Banwer ‘22, Mark Miller ‘24, Jed Prickett ‘24, Phin de Sola ‘24 and Mya Carter ‘24 (Cox). The recent stable game, the home game where fans come out to support the athletes, was the Head of the Fish regatta, and was marked by exciting improvements since the teams’ last regatta in October. The Women's double team of Nicole McElhoe ‘22 and Margaret Brown ‘23 finished third (13:53), and the Men's 4+ (12:53) and Women's 8+ (12:18) also had notable performances.
Mens tennis opened their incredible season with a 9-0 win against Bard in September. At the Northeast Regional, the Thoroughbreds excelled in the singles and doubles events, with Freshman John Rado ‘25 claiming the singles title (6-2, 2-6, 6-3). Athletes Alper Kulturel ‘23 and Noah Williamson ‘22 won the doubles crown for the tournament.
Women’s Tennis at Skidmore has also had an exciting season, with freshman Grace Truong ‘25 being named Liberty League Rookie of the Week for the week ending October 3rd. Truong teamed up with Ella Provost ‘25 for doubles in an 8-3 win over RPI, and an 8-1 win over Union. Truong also went 4-0 over the weekend at fourth singles, dropping just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 win over Rensselaer, and finished the week outscoring her opponents 24-1 in singles games. Grace’s dominance on the court is a great representation of the women’s tennis team, who have been racking in wins all season, with notable singles players Katherine Almquist ‘24 and Lily Feldman ‘22. Overall, both tennis teams continue to dominate the Liberty League and represent Skidmore well.
Women’s Volleyball has had a long season, starting on September 3rd and coming to an end October 30. After a bit of a rocky start at the Springfield tournament in early September and subsequent Union Invitational, the girls bounced back with wins against Russell Sage College and Oneonta at the Union/Russell Sage Crosstown Challenge. Excellent plays by Zoe Beals ‘22, Chelsea Winegar ‘23, Sophie Sacco ‘24 and more led the girls to a satisfying win against Vassar. Frida Anguiano ‘23 and Elizabeth Miller ‘23 also each served four aces in a win against Bard in late September. The girls kept up this fighting attitude and won all three matches at the Skidmore Classic in early October, with a season high of 19 kills for Beals, and assists from Noa Berger ‘24 and Jessica Shulman ‘23. After a tough loss at the Babson Invitational, followed by two losses at home, the girls ended the season on a high note with three wins in a row at the Skidmore Invitational. The team held an 8-3 record at home and showed great character winning their last three matches.
In golf news, freshman Evan Forrest ‘25 was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week for the week ending October 10th. This comes after Forrest’s placing third at the Saratoga National Invitational as Skidmore's top finisher with a score of 68-79—147. Earlier in the season, the Thoroughbreds finished third in the 18-team Williams College Fall Invitational played at the Par-71 Taconic Golf Course, and after the first round of the Saratoga National Invitational, Skidmore rose to the top. Men’s golf has finished their fall season strong, and will pick up where they left off at the Jekyll Island Invitational scheduled for March 18th-20th, 2022.
Girls Field Hockey has also had quite the season. Although they started out strong with a 7-3 win against Thomas College, the Field Hockey team had a bumpy semester. After a streak of four losses in mid-October, the girls came back to defeat Oneonta, Union, and Utica. The team also was able to clinch a win over Ithaca, who up until that point had been undefeated in the Liberty League. With excellent leadership and plays from senior Mariah Redler ‘22, as well as goals from Carrie Hughes ‘23 and Carolyn Blackman ‘22 and excellent defense goalie Jess Gaetgens ‘22, the girls were able to move forward successfully in their season. An unfortunate loss to SUNY Cortland concluded a 10-10 season, but things are looking hopeful for Field Hockey. With some extremely talented underclassmen including Freshmen Kayla Hasset ‘25 and Beth Yorns ‘25, it’s looking like the team can only go up from here.
From this past fall season, we can be sure that the Thoroughbreds continue to put their best foot forward and put their all into every game, regardless of any one team’s standing. After an intense couple of months, these fall athletes deserve to get some much needed rest and relaxation, knowing they made the Skidmore community proud. And, with the beginning of this new semester, we can start to cheer for our up and coming winter and spring athletes!