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With summer in the rear-view, oversleeping gets replaced by early morning lifts, mid-day lounging turns into practice, and the Connecticut College campus lights up with sporting aplenty. The fall sports season is officially underway, the busiest sports season for the college, as 12 separate teams kick into overdrive with plans of setting records and winning games, all in the hopes of bringing a trophy home for the white and blue. Last year was historic for Conn sports. Headlined by the Men’s soccer team reaching the Division III championship, however, a multitude of teams performed some of their best in years, and in some cases, in program history. The 2025 season is currently in progress and without further ado, The College Voice brings you the 5th Anniversary of the Fall Sport Preview!
Men’s Soccer
The Men’s soccer team was, without a doubt, a massive success in 2024. Going back to the NCAA DIII Championship for the second time in four years, as well as winning the NESCAC Championship for the first time in program history, Connecticut College has cemented itself as a behemoth in the Northeast. With a 14-3-7 record last season and the #2 preseason ranking, the team’s expectations are just about as high as can be. Their defense was stout as they held opponents to an average of .63 goals per game, the program’s lowest recorded mark since 2018. It is to be seen if these expectations can be reached as the team went through a massive roster overhaul this offseason. Last year’s graduating class included 12 of the team’s members, including starting goalie, 1x NESCAC Player of the Week, 2x All-NESCAC Second Team, Peter Silvester ‘25, as well as starting forward, 2x All-NESCAC First Team Matt Scoffone ‘25. The team brought in 13 first years to replenish their ranks, and with the talent already on the roster, they should be insulated from the summer’s losses. The youth movement for the team can also be seen in the coach’s decision to list Charlie Miles ‘27 and Max Haberman ‘27 as captains, the first time non-seniors were listed as captains since 2021. The team already has four games under its belt, starting with their home opener vs the University of Hartford. A Hawks team that the Camels absolutely dominated in their last meeting in a 6-0 dismantling in 2023 came to Freeman Field and forced a 0-0 tie. This was unfortunately not the momentum the team needed going into their championship rematch vs #1 Amherst, which ended in a 0-2 loss. For game three, they traveled to Kings Point for their first win of the season against the United States Merchant Marine Academy, before another road game at Bowdoin College, which ended in a 1-1 tie. The team is now looking toward Salve Regina University to extend their win streak over the Seahawks to three games on September 16.
Women’s Soccer
The Women’s soccer team struggled in 2024. With a 5-9-2 record, they posted their worst win percentage since 2015. The team started off hot, going 3-1 through their first four games, simply losing momentum throughout the year. The team went through its own transformation over the summer as seven seniors traded their cleats for caps. The return of both Caroline Camp ‘26 and Alexa Weiner ‘26 provides a solid floor for the team while maintaining strong communication on and off the field. This has opened eight roster spots to be filled by first-year students who are already making their impact felt on the pitch. The team opened their season at home vs Emmanuel College with a 2-1 revenge victory from last season. Game two was a tough 0-3 loss to #6 Amherst however, they were able to bounce back against Salve Regina University the next day, going to Rhode Island to take down the Seahawks 1-0. Conn took home their third win of the season in a 1-0 win vs the United States Coast Guard Academy before a 0-2 loss in a road game against Bowdoin College. The Camels are now set to defend Freeman Field against the Colby Mules on September 20 in a revenge game from last season.
Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team is a roster in transition without clear expectations for what 2025 will look like. The team lost eight seniors over the summer, including 1x All-NESCAC First Team runner Matt Scardingo ‘25. Unlike previous seasons, where incoming first-year runners outnumbered outgoing seniors, this season only saw five first-years to reload the roster. On the other hand, the existing team showed promising results in the NCAA Mideast Regional last November, with five current runners all placing in the top 125. The coaching staff also received a boost by bringing in new assistant coach Andrew Rose. Rose has years of experience coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels and should prove to be a major asset to the team this season and beyond. Conn XC began their season in Hartford for the Trinity Invitational, where they placed second, a mere four points behind NESCAC rival #15 Tufts University. After a hot start to the season, the men’s team is going to North Dartmouth for the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, where they look to continue building momentum for the rest of the season.
Women’s Cross Country
The 2024-2025 season may have been the college’s best season of women’s cross country in the program’s history. The team is coming in ranked #12 in the nation by the NCAA DIII Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll. This is the highest ranking in the program’s history and it is clear why they are ranked so high. Leading the pack was Grace McDonough ‘26, who came eighth in the NESCAC championship, earning her the top spot on the All-NESCAC second team. She was also able to set the Connecticut College record for fastest 6,000-meter time, cementing her name in the history book. Other members of the team gave fantastic performances with Abby Fernald ‘26, 1x All-NESCAC first team in 2023, Abby Williams ‘27, Alsacia Timmerman ‘26, April Schilling ‘27, and Kiera Tallas ‘27 all running at the NCAA DIII Cross-Country Championships, leading to the team’s 23rd out of 32nd finish. With that core six all returning for another season and the team only losing three seniors while bringing in six first-years, the roster is poised for another great season while being insulated for years to come. The season started off at the Trinity Invitational, where the team placed fourth out of eight teams. The team’s next stop is the UMass Dartmouth Invitational on September 20, where the Camels plan to make some noise in the Northeast.
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Women’s Volleyball
The Volleyball team has quietly burst onto the scene as a serious threat to any opponent that meets them on the court. They ended the year with a 15-9 record, their highest win percentage since 2015, and leaders in virtually every statistic. Middle Blocker Rae Wartelle ‘27 put on a clinic last season, earning a NESCAC Player of the Week nod, had the 13th highest average kills per set in the NESCAC and was 17th in total blocks in the NESCAC. Other major returners are Josie Kelly ‘28, who led the team in assists and was second in the NESCAC in total assists on blistering efficiency, Taylor Merrifield ‘27, who led the Camels in digs as well as tied for 4th in average digs per set in the NESCAC, and Evie Lockwood Mullaney ‘27, who was 15th in the NESCAC in total blocks. Even with the loss of two seniors and leading point scorer, Mila Chan, the team has brought in seven first-years as depth and with such a well-rounded roster, should be insulated from the summer’s losses. The team’s season opened up at home vs Salve Regina University in a 3-0 blowout out where the Camels have now swept the Seahawks in back-to-back season openers. They then went on to beat Suffolk University 3-1 before dropping games to Brandeis University, 2-3, and #10 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 0-3. The team continued their losing streak the following week in a 1-3 loss to Plymouth State University before bouncing back in a 3-0 sweep of Worcester State University to set their record to 3-3 going into their next matchup against Eastern Connecticut State University on September 17.
Men’s Tennis
The men’s tennis team, coming off back-to-back .500 win seasons, has had its best two-season stretch since the 2010-2012 seasons. With a split fall & spring schedule, we should be getting a sneak peek into the team’s potential this season. The Camels tend to be quite solid in the fall, going 4-2 over the past two seasons and the four matches they have for the rest of 2025 they are hoping to follow that trend. The last time we saw the Camels play, they struggled against a slate of ranked NESCAC teams, going 1-6 against ranked opponents that season. With the loss of five seniors and the input of four first-years, the roster is getting some significant turnover they are hoping will be enough to elevate the team this season. Even with these losses, the return of Nikhil Agarwal ‘27 and Sigmund Winiecki ‘26 as some of last year’s best performers should give the team a competitive chance in every match this season. Conn is currently ranked 56th going into the year, better than NESCAC rivals Colby College, Trinity College, and Bates College but with a season opener on September 28 vs the United States Coast Guard Academy the team has the potential to smash that preseason ranking.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s team finished last season with a 6-12 record, which is relatively on par, win percentage-wise, with the program’s performances over the past decade. However the team showed some encouraging sparks in the middle of last season. They were able to take down #52 Trinity College 5-2, the team’s first time beating a ranked opponent since the covid seasons. With that being said, the roster suffered an unfortunate three-game skid against ranked NESCAC opponents to end the season. With the loss of four seniors, only being replaced by two first-years, it is incredibly unclear what the team is going to look like this season. With only three appearances this fall, we don’t have the largest sample size to go off of to give a solid prediction. With the flashes of greatness the roster showed last season and the return of NESCAC Player of the Week, Sana Bhat ‘26, the team has the potential to shatter its 61st national ranking. Their season opens at the ITA New England Regional Championships from September 26 through the 28 which should prove to be a good temperature gauge for the upcoming season.
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Women’s Field Hockey
Conn’s field hockey team has become a sneaky contender and is poised for a very solid season in 2025. Last season, the team ended with a 6-10 record but showed flashes of dominance, including a four-game win streak in October that included a 2-1 victory over #22 Hamilton College. The team also secured their first NESCAC Championship berth since 2012 which showed the progress the roster and coaching staff have been building. We saw another dominant season from the team’s ace Bridget McGann ‘26, where she secured her first All-NESCAC first-team nod after securing spots on the All-NESCAC second team the previous two seasons. McGann is also going into the season on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) watchlist for the second season in a row. The team lost seven seniors this season, only being replaced by three first-year players but also the addition of Assistant Coach Emily Moniz, who spent three years playing under current Conn Head Coach Ryley van der Velde at Virginia Wesleyan University. The team has already started looking better compared to last season, as their season opener at Roger Williams University led way to a 3-2 victory, giving the Camels a 4-3 lead in the rivalry dating back to 2017. Game two was a nail-biting 3-4 overtime loss to #16 Amherst College, which immediately showed a scrappiness that the team only exhibited in flashes last season. Game three, the team bounced back for a 4-1 trouncing of Wellesley College on their home turf, while game four was an unfortunate 1-3 loss to #19 Bowdoin College. The team’s next game is against Colby College on September 20, which, if all goes well, should be a ‘get right’ game over a rival that the Camels have beaten in their past three meetings.
Men’s Water Polo
The men’s water polo team was another team that seemed to turn the corner on becoming a dangerous program for the Camels. Their 2024 7-14 record was their best win percentage since 2017, which is on pace to be further built upon this season. The team got some major news this summer that they would be realigning from the Northeast Water Polo Conference to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). In the Northeast Conference, the Camels were mainly competing against DI programs out of the Ivy League in their championship, while this season, they have the chance to participate in a DIII division. The men’s and women’s coaching staffs are also getting a boost from the addition of Assistant Coach Katie Tijerina. This addition should be especially helpful as three seniors left the team to be exactly replaced by three first-year players. It is clear the team is suffering from some growing pains as they struggled at the end of the season and the season opener was an unfortunate 13-16 loss to Penn State Behrend, followed up by a 12-20 loss to Mount St. Mary’s University. Even with the unfortunate start to the season, the team has plenty of time to turn the season around after an offseason packed full of change. In particular, the matchup vs Pomona College on September 20 should be penciled as a must-watch for the lack of history the two programs have against each other.
Co-ed Sailing
The sailing program is one of pure upside. With the graduation of four seniors, the team brought in 12 first-year players, getting their first tastes of collegiate sailing. This upside was also something exhibited last season, particularly in a dominant fifth place in the Admirals Cup, where the Camels outperformed top 16 programs like the United States Coast Guard Academy and Tufts University. The team is also bringing back Henry Scholz ‘27, who qualified for the Monotype Trophy – NEISA Open Singlehanded Champs, where he placed sixth out of 31. To start the season, the team rattled off a 16th-place finish out of 18 at Yale University in the coed competition while the women’s section of the program captured seventh out of eight teams at the United States Coast Guard Academy. This is a roster blossoming with talent and with enough time developing, can shape up to be able to go head to head with just about any competitor. The team returns to Providence for a second regatta at Brown University on September 20 through the 21, which should be an interesting test for the strength of the roster.
Men’s Rowing
The men’s rowing offseason was relatively quiet with not much change on the roster. The team lost only one senior and had the return of two All-NESCAC second team rowers in Ryan Yanko ‘27 and Finn McKitterick ‘27. The last time we saw the team, they placed 16th out of 18 teams in the NESCAC championship with 22 points. A roster banking on development is looking to shoot past that score this year and can begin by showing off a strong performance at the season opener, Head of the Snake on October 4.
Women’s Rowing
Another roster with minimal change is the women’s rowing team, which only lost two seniors and is hoping another season with the same rowers can be enough to propel the program into the next tier of competition. With the return of All-NESCAC second team Emily Fairfield ‘26, continuity may be all a roster that placed 14th of 19 in the NESCAC championship needs to increase its point total this season. Also opening their season at the Head of the Snake on October 4, the women’s rowing team should be shaping up to compete in each regatta on the schedule in 2025.
