Field hockey wins league title; eyes NCAA tournament

Skidmore?s field hockey team, led by a goal from Liberty League Player of the Year and tournament MVP Christine Kemp (Putnam Valley, N.Y.), won the Liberty League championship with a 1-0 shutout Saturday over host St. Lawrence.

A sophomore, Kemp scored the game?s only goal in the first half, adding to a goal and an assist recorded in the semifinal game, a 2-0 win over Union College. Junior Sheray Michel (Schuylerville, N.Y.) tallied the other goal in the Union victory.

With the win, the 15-3 Thoroughbreds received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. They will host Eastern University in the first round at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Thoroughbred Field. Tickets will be $5 for general admission and $3 for students with ID.

The women?s soccer team also advanced to the Liberty League finals with a 2-0 win Friday over Union College before suffering a heartbreaking double-overtime loss that went to penalty kicks against defending champion William Smith. Senior Rachael Sushner (Potomac, Md.) and freshman Elena Stansky (Worcester, Mass.) each scored for the Thoroughbreds in the semifinal.

With such solid playoff work, Skidmore earned an NCAA at-large bid and will host an NCAA regional tournament featuring four teams. In their first NCAA appearance since 1998, the Thoroughbreds (13-4-4) will face Western Connecticut State in the first round at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15.

The winner of the Skidmore-Western Connecticut game will play the winner of Saturday?s second game, which features College of New Jersey and Moravian. The winning teams will meet in the final at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.

Ticket prices for the women?s soccer games will be $6 for general admission, $3 for students with ID, and $2 for children ages 3 to 12.

The women?s volleyball team rounded out the weekend with a solid performance at its Liberty League championships, falling just short to Union, 3-1, to finish at second and notch a 3-1 record in the tournament.

Senior Erica Duncan (San Francisco, Calif.) earned all-tournament team honors en route to being named Liberty League Co-Player of the Year. Senior Murray Koch (Palo Alto, Calif.) and junior Lauren Dinsdale (Harrington Park, N.J.) were named All-Liberty League first team, while sophomores Becca Ormsby (Charlton, N.Y.) and Meredith Palmer (Montvale, N.J.) earned second-team honors. ~By Sytiva Seitz