With the Fall Semester finally settled in, classes ingrained in our daily routines, and temperatures finally below 80 degrees, it’s safe to say summer has come to a complete end. Fall is here, and so are cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and Saturday afternoon sports games! With six William Smith athletic teams beginning to reach the peak of their 2015 schedule, let’s take a look at some of their early season projections!
As one of the most successful teams on campus with 12 Liberty League Championships and 2 National Championships, the girl’s soccer team ended their 2014 season, 16-3-1 (16 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie), with THIRTEEN of those wins being shut outs! So far this year, they’ve had some big wins over SUNY Fredonia and Emory College and held off long-time rival Messiah College to a 1-1 tie on their home turf of Cozzens field. Junior Kara Shue, 2013 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, has a lot to say about the team this year and their projected success, “Our upperclassmen are coming back strong with Bridget [Westerman] and Zoe [Jackson-Gibson] in command in the back, and Brie [Ruane] in the middle. We have some younger players who have added a whole new aspect to our game and have made us that much more dangerous. We’ve been looking strong and focused and I am excited to see where this season goes!” The Heron’s play their next few games on the road, but come out and support them on Saturday, October 24 vs. Clarkson. Be sure to check out their amazing talent and #6 ranking in the nation!
On the other end of campus playing on McCooey Field, the William Smith Field Hockey Team is started off their season 5-0, moving up in the national rankings from #18 to #8 early on! This year, the team consists of 17 returning players with 7 new promising first-years. The team tarted out strong this year by shutting down SUNY Oneonta 5-1 and winning a HUGE game against Ursinus College of Pennsylvania in an overtime victory of 5-4. “I think we are looking really strong this year and have a lot of potential” says junior Alessandra Patrizio, 2013 Liberty League Rookie of the Year and a repeat Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week. “We have Biz Chirco in goal who has been like a brick wall, Ali Frary at midfield who is a machine, and Hannah Wood on the forward line again. I am really excited to see what our team can accomplish and hope to see everyone at our games!” The team has since moved to the #7 spot with an 11-1 record this season so far! The will be on the road for their next game, but support the team, and their perfect record at home so far this year, as they face Cortland on October 17.
Some of our other William Smith teams have had great starts to their seasons! The William Smith Cross Country Team started out strong this year by coming in second place in their first invitational, the Wildcat Invitational, in Utica, New York and fourth place at the Oswego Pat Patterson Invitational in Oswego, New York. With 7 new first year runners, the team of 19 had a fantastic start this season! The Golf Team finished in 9th place at their first tournament at the St. Lawrence Invitational in Canton, New York. This year, the team has a roster of 7 talented athletes, two of them being first-years. Tennis has also been looking outstanding this season with one of their first-years, Alex Greenberg, being recognized as Liberty League Rookie of the Week early in the season.
Make sure to show your Heron pride and cheer all of our women’s teams on during the remainder or their seasons! For additional information about all of our teams and their schedules, click here!