Courtesy of Hailey Pemberton ’23
As leaves fall and temperatures cool, Connecticut College’s varsity fall sports teams are all in season. Accordingly, The College Voice was able to catch up with captains and members of teams to provide an in-depth preview of each fall sports team. All records and scores are as of September 17th, however, you can see fully updated scores and schedules at camelathletics.com.
Women’s Cross Country
Last season, the women’s cross-country team placed tenth at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships. While disappointing, the team has their eyes set on improvement this season. Despite the loss of captain and top runner Julia Curran ‘23, the team retains four of last season’s top five scoring runners, including DIII Nationals qualifier Lauren Hino ‘24. Additionally, the Camels have added a strong first-year class of sixteen runners looking to make an immediate impact. The women of the desert are currently ranked sixth in the Mideast region and aim to make nationals as a team. The women’s cross-country team will compete at home at the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford on Saturday, October 14th.
Men’s Cross Country
Following a dream season in which the men’s cross-country team qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships for only the second time in program history, the Camels hope to make it back to the big dance this year. “We set a high bar last season but we go into each season with new goals and expectations and hope for everyone to put their best foot forward every day,” said captain Brenden Meillit ‘24. “We finished in the top twenty-five last year [at nationals] and we just want to get back and finish as high as we can.” While the Camels lose their top two runners in All-Americans’ Matt Carter ‘23 and Jeffery Love ‘23, the team has added a strong group of eight first-years. “Obviously losing Matt and Jeff will be a huge blow for us because they gave us low sticks [in scoring],” said captain Robbie Lynch ‘24. “But we have a lot of depth in freshman and sophomores who are ready to contribute.” Competing against NCAA Division I schools in the first meet of the season, the Camels held their own and first-years Ellis Iurilli-Hough ‘27 and Ronan Staab ‘27 both placed in the team’s top seven. The men’s cross-country team races at home at the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford on Saturday, October 14th.
Women’s Field Hockey
After a season in which the women’s field hockey team recorded their most wins since 2017 and won multiple NESCAC matches for the first time since 2016, the Camels are hoping to continue their improvement this season. With no graduating seniors, the team returns all members from last season and a first-year class of nine Camels. The team is captained by McKalynn Jacobsen ‘24, Hope Melanson ‘24, and Kylee Quinn ‘24. Leading the forward line is NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) DIII All-Region and All-NESCAC Second Team forward Bridget McGann ‘26. Having lost close matches against nationally ranked Babson and Bowdoin, the Camels have their sights set on making the NESCAC tournament this season. The field hockey team is currently 1-3 and will play their next home match against Amherst College at Silfen Field on Wednesday, September 27th.
Women’s Rowing
Having competed at the National Invitational Rowing Championship last spring, the women’s rowing team hopes to use the fall season to build momentum for the spring season. “The first varsity boat made a huge jump last spring and we are expecting to use that motivation to bring up the second and third varsity eights to a similar level this fall,” said captain Elizabeth Elsbree ‘24. Aiding their cause is the fact that no key members have graduated. “We did not have any teammates graduate last year, so it’s a good opportunity to continue building on the momentum from last season with the same group of athletes, with some new additions,” said Elsebree. With only three races in the fall, the Camels hope to improve from last season’s finish of 35th at the Head of the Charles regatta. This regatta is the largest rowing regatta in the world and features over 1,000 boats from around the world. “We have two boats entered in the Head of the Charles and our whole squad will make the trip up to Worcester for the Wormtown Chase,” said Elsebree. “The Head of the Charles is a really incredible opportunity so we want to try to enjoy it as much as possible and make the Charles weekend a good reflection of all of the work we have done so far.” With no The Camels return All-NESCAC Second Team coxswain Emma Lanahan ‘24 and are captained by Lanahan, Elizabeth Elsbree ‘24, and Bridget McTague ‘24. The women’s rowing team opens their fall season at the Head of the Snake in Worcester on Saturday, October 14th.
Men’s Rowing
For the first time since 1988, the men’s rowing team will be coached by a new face. After over thirty years coaching the College’s men’s rowing team, Ric Ricci has been replaced by Cian Noone, who formerly served as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator for men’s rowing at Bates College. As fall is not the main season for rowing, the Camels hope to build fitness for the spring season ahead. “Our new head coach, Cian Noone, has already begun building the team, starting with two new 8+s,” said captain Callista Crisonino ‘24. “He has set his expectations for the team high, and we are excited to exceed his expectations.” Like the women’s team, the men’s rowing team will also be racing at the Head of Charles. “We are going to The Head of the Charles, the largest race in the world, [and] we are excited to race in the Men’s Collegiate 4+,” said Crisonino. “The goal is to place better than the last men’s 4+ in 2019.” Though the Camels have only lost two seniors, both losses are great. All-NESCAC Second Team and captain Eric Pica ‘23 and Caleb Macenka ‘23 both will be missed. “Pica was a strong captain who helped move this program forward last season,” said Crisonino. “Macenka’s personality made him a key member of the team and a friend to all of us still rowing. However, in their void, a large group of walk-on’s will try to fill their shoes. “A great thing about rowing is that many people do not start rowing until college [and] the current group of walk-ons is the largest in recent memory,” said Crisonino. “The returning squad has been great about taking them under their wing during [the] challenging learning process.” The men’s rowing team will open their season at the Head of the Snake in Worcester on Saturday, October 14th.
Co-ed Sailing
Coming off an impressive 14th placed finish at the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) National Championships, the sailing team hopes to utilize the fall season to bond as a team to prepare for the important spring season. “The fall season is primarily dedicated to the national championships for sing and heelboat and the championships we are most competitive at are the team and fleet which doesn’t happen until June,” said captain Wade Anthony ‘24. “The fall season is for us to mesh as a team, get to know each other better so that once the fall season ends we can hit the ground running when the regatta season is intense and the championship season is going.” This bonding is more than necessary as fourteen seniors have graduated. “We graduated roughly half the team and a lot of those guys, particularly three of them, were starting sailors for all four years they were here,” said Anthony. “One of the big goals is getting the big freshmen class bought into the expectations and values of the team and establish a new dynamic on the team. The co-ed sailing team will compete next at the Hoyt Trophy at Brown University in Providence on Saturday, September 23rd.
Women’s Soccer
Last season, the women’s soccer team finished with a 7-6-3 record and made it to the first round of the NESCAC tournament. While by no means disappointing, the Camels fell short of the previous season’s success, in which the team made it to the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. However, the team is bolstered by the addition of twelve first years. Additionally, the Camels return a majority of last season’s team. Leading the charge is captain, leading goalscorer, All-Region, and All-NESCAC first-team forward Myra Johnson ‘23, who is back for a fifth season, and All-NESCAC second-team defender/forward Alexa Weiner ‘26. The women’s soccer team is currently 2-2 and plays their next home game against John Jay College at Freeman Field on Saturday, September 23rd.
Men’s Soccer
Last season, the men’s soccer team faced the difficult task of defending their 2021 NCAA Division III national championship win. While the Camels performed admirably and made it to the finals of the NESCAC tournament, they ultimately fell short of defending their title and failed to make the national championships. This season, they hope to improve through a different approach. “This year we are planning to take more of a game-by-game approach to the season,” said captain Matt Scoffone ‘24. “By meeting each of our small goals consistently throughout the season, we can achieve goals similar to what we have had in the past.” Though the Camels have lost seven seniors and all three captains, nine first-years have arrived and are ready to contribute. “Having high profile players such as Steve Yeonas and Augie Djerdjaj leave [is] never easy to replace,” said Scoffone. “However, I think as an overall unit, we are much stronger and much deeper this year.” In particular, Scoffone is impressed with the skill of the first-year class. “The freshmen have shown a lot of talent already this season,” said Scoffone. “It is never easy coming into such a competitive team, so I am pleasantly surprised by how they have already been able to impact our team.” The men’s soccer team is currently 2-0-1 and plays their next home game against Amherst at Freeman Field on Tuesday, October 3rd.
Women’s Volleyball
Finishing 7-14 last season, the women’s volleyball team aims to continue improving and win more NESCAC games this season. “A main goal we have for this season is to be in the top 4 of NESCAC,” said Valentina Baehrle ‘24. “This is something we are definitely aspiring towards, and I know we have the skill this year to achieve it.” To achieve this goal, the Camels are trying a new method to stay mindful throughout the season. “Staying mindful of our individual and team performance is a huge goal this year,” said Baehrle. “This season, we’re all keeping journals to make sure we stay in tune with ourselves throughout practices and games.” Half of the eighteen players on the team last season have graduated, transferred or gone abroad, creating a great change for the team. “There’s been a massive shift in team skill set and team dynamic,” said Beahrle. “This has really given us an opportunity for a fresh start with a smaller team, allowing for deeper connections amongst ourselves and better potential for success.” A first-year class of four players had given the Camels well needed reinforcement for the season ahead. “We have two Libero/DS players, and two Middle/Right Sides [joining],” said Baehrle. “These are two positions we are grateful to have reinforcements in, and we can already see some of these women having made NESCAC leaderboards with their performance.” The women’s volleyball team is currently 3-4 and plays their next home match against Bowdoin College at the Luce Fieldhouse on Friday, September 22nd.
Men’s Water Polo
Following an improved season in which the men’s water polo team recorded their most wins since 2019, the Camels are shooting to do even better this season. “Our team’s main goal for this season is to be a very highly competitive team and perform better than the previous years with new teammates and [a new] assistant coach,” said captain Jonathan Rojas ‘25. “We want to compete against the Division 1 teams we play.” While the Camels have only lost three seniors, they are all big losses. In particular, captain and two-time All-American Christian Jacobsen ‘23 has graduated. However, a strong group of four first-years have joined the team and Rojas is hopeful their impact will be great. “We have Cormac Stevens (‘27) and Ethan Hipsky (‘27), who both will make a big impact on our offensive plays along with Jesse Ellis (‘27) and Jeffrey Harrington (‘27) who have [already] made an impact on team morale and will be big additions to our offensive and defensive plays,” said Rojas. “I look forward to their huge impact on the team and having these guys as my teammates.” The men’s water polo team is currently 0-2 and plays their next home match against Wheaton College on Thursday, October 26th.
