Field hockey and women?s soccer clinch playoff spots

Skidmore?s field hockey and women?s soccer teams each clinched spots in Liberty League playoffs that will be held Nov. 7-8, following a victorious weekend.

Field hockey posted two big conference wins to finish in a first-place tie with St. Lawrence. The Saints will host the league playoffs.

Junior Sheray Michel (Schuylerville, N.Y.) scored the game-winner in an exciting 2-1 win over Rensselaer on Saturday. The following day, sophomore Christine Kemp scored four goals in a 5-0 rout of Vassar to clinch second seed in the tournament. The Thoroughbreds will face number-three seed Union College in the first round of playoffs.

Women?s soccer freshman goalkeeper Meghan Sleezer (Gloversville, N.Y.) led the Thoroughbreds in shutout wins over Clarkson (4-0) and St. Lawrence (2-0). The victories enabled Skidmore to capture the third seed and also face Union in the Liberty League playoffs.

The women?s volleyball team tallied a 3-1 record following the Skidmore Classic over the weekend. The Thoroughbreds beat Liberty League opponents St. Lawrence and Clarkson, as well as New Paltz. The team?s only loss came at the hands of Cortland State, who went 4-0 in the classic.

Junior libero Lauren Dinsdale was named to the all-tournament team after posting 7.92 digs per game during the four matches.

The men?s soccer team edged Clarkson University, 1-0, on a goal by freshman Diego Reinero (Princeton, N.J.), to keep its playoff hopes alive on Saturday. However the team suffered a 3-2 loss to St. Lawrence University the following day to just fall short of a playoff bid.

The swimming and diving teams also competed in a North Country road trip, with stops at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence. The women?s team came away with a win over Potsdam, 125-104, led by seniors Kristen Zebrowski (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Jen Piepenbrink (Wenham, Mass.), who won the 1,000-freestyle and the 500-freestyle, respectively. The men, falling short 146-96, were highlighted by freshman diver Doug Pilawa (Chesterland, Ohio), who broke the Skidmore one- (229.30) and three- (241.10) meter six dive records.

Both the men and the women suffered losses at St. Lawrence on Sunday.

The Skidmore College Equestrian team opened the 2008-09 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association with a three point win over Cornell University and SUNY Morrisville in the 14-team show hosted by Hartwick College.

Sophomore Rebecca Rawlings clinched the team's win with a blue ribbon in the Walk/Trot Division in the final class of the day.

Additional Skidmore Class winners were: captain Jennifer Wilkins '09 in the Open Flat; Elizabeth Kigin '10 in the Open Over Fences; Alexandra Stevenson '09 and Jordan Calabro '10 in the Intermediate Flat; Hanae Kimura '11 and Maria Lorenc '11 in the Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter. ~By Sytiva Seitz