Field hockey eyes post-season; marks Senior Day

With the regular season schedules winding down for fall sports, field hockey became the first Skidmore team to earned at berth into the postseason, posting two league wins. Men’s and women’s soccer will be looking to rebound and continue their playoff push this week after each dropped games against St. Lawrence, while volleyball wrapped up its league schedule with four matches.

Field hockey clinched a home playoff game, notching conference wins against Union and Vassar. Dani DeGregory ’16 tied a program milestone with 10 points in Friday’s 10-0 win against Union. She netted a hat trick in the first 7:13 of the contest and scored the final goal of the game while also adding two assists. Melanie Webb ’15 chipped in two goals and two assists. The team celebrated “Senior Day” on Saturday against Vassar and it got a boost from its senior class. Webb tallied the game-tying goal and assisted on Sam Revera’s ’15 game-winning goal in the 54th minute. Sofia San Marco ’15 also registered an assist on Revera’s game-winner and goalkeeper Amy Beck ’15 earned her 13th win of the season. With the two wins the Thoroughbreds (13-3, 5-1 Liberty League) secured the second seed in the Liberty League tournament and will host Vassar at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5. The team closes out its regular season schedule with two non-league games, taking on Hartwick at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, before traveling to St. John Fisher Sunday, Nov. 2.

Men’s soccer suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in overtime against No. 9 St. Lawrence. The game was a defensive battle, but the Thoroughbreds (8-5-3, 2-3-1 Liberty League) nearly pulled ahead twice in the opening 11 minutes of the second half. Adam Beek ’15 was denied on a breakaway just under two minutes into the half and a 25-yard strike by Todd Jensen ’16 came crashing off the bar in the 56th minute. Neither team could gain the upper hand in regulation, but the Saints managed to produce the winning goal 8:11 into the first overtime period. Skidmore closes out its regular season schedule with two conference games, hosting Bard at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Union at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Women’s soccer fell to St. Lawrence, 1-0. After a scoreless first half, the Saints found the game-winning goal in the 61st minute. Arena Manning ’16 had three shots and Emily Saliterman ’17 and Morgan Governale ’15 both forced second-half saves out of St. Lawrence goalkeeper Kelsey West. The team plays its final two regular season games this week, welcoming RPI at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, and Nazareth at 12 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Volleyball concluded conference play, dropping its final four league matches. Brittany Osborn ’17 had 12 kills and a pair of aces against RIT and Kalle Fox ’18 had a team-high 25 assists to go along with seven digs. Marcela Familiar-Bolanos ’17 led the team with 20 digs. Aria Goodman ’15 had a team-best 11 kills against No. 16 Clarkson and Fox produced 15 assists and eight digs. The Thoroughbreds finish the regular season this weekend, hosting the Skidmore Invitational Oct. 31-Nov. 1. The team opens play against Potsdam at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. ~ By Dan St.-Jacques