Fall athletics in full swing

Skidmore's fall athletic season is under way with Thoroughbred teams set to battle for Liberty League championships in men's and women's soccer, field hockey, golf, and volleyball. The crew and tennis teams also compete in the fall with team championships scheduled for the spring.

The field hockey team will host Williams College at 2 p.m. Saturday on the Skidmore field. The Thoroughbreds are 0-1 after a 3-1 loss at Babson Aug. 30. Skidmore advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division III tournament, finishing with a 14-6 record.

The men's soccer team will host the Skidmore Alumni Tournament Sept. 5-7 at Wachenheim Field. The 1-1 Thoroughbreds play Lasell at 7 p.m. Sept. 5 and Western Connecticut at 2 p.m. Sept. 7. Lasell and Western Connecticut play at 3 p.m. Sept. 6. Skidmore was 5-6-6 last season with just one loss in the team's final nine games.

The 2-0 women's soccer team travels to Oneonta this weekend for the Mayor's Cup Tournament. The Thoroughbreds play Hartwick at 4 p.m. Sept. 6 and Oneonta at 4 p.m. Sept. 7. Skidmore is coming off an 11-6-2 record last season that included a trip to the Liberty League semifinals.

The volleyball team is off to a 3-1 start after beating Rochester, Fredonia, and Baptist Bible at the Cortland State Red Dragon Tournament Aug. 29-30. The Thoroughbreds are looking for a return trip to the NCAA tournament after achieving a 30-10 record and advancing to the second round of the 2007 championship.

The golf team opens at home this weekend with the Tim Brown Invitational at the Saratoga Spa State Park Course. Play begins at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 7 and continues at 7:45 a.m. Sept. 8. Skidmore is ranked seventh in the first NCAA Division III national poll of the season after a fifth-place finish in the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships.

The men's and women's tennis teams are coming off NCAA tournament appearances. Both teams play a limited fall schedule to get ready for the spring. The men open at the Flower City Tournament Sept. 13-14 in Rochester and the women are at the William Smith Tournament during the same weekend.

Men's and women's crew begins training next week. The teams will compete in three events this fall, finishing with the Oct. 25-26 Head of the Fish.