Women's tennis All-Americans highlight busy week

Women's tennis junior Nataly Mendoza (San Francisco, Calif.) and sophomore Lee Ford (Newton, Mass.) earned All-American honors after winning the USTA/ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championship Sept. 26. Mendoza and Ford are the fifth doubles team in school history to earn All-American honors and the first since 2001. In the championship, Mendoza and Ford defeated the top-seeded pair of Karisse Bendisjo and Allison Tierney of the College of New Jersey, 6-4, 6-4. The Skidmore pair will now compete in the USTA/ITA Small College Championships Oct. 13-16 at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.

Golf won the Liberty League qualifier by 13 strokes, placing four players in the top 10. Junior John McCarthy (East Greenwich, R.I.) earned Liberty League Player of the Year honors after shooting three-under for the two-day tournament, highlighted by Sunday afternoon's five-under, which set a tournament course record. Classmate Garrett Colgan (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) finished second with an even par 71-73?144, freshman Zach Grossman tied for fourth, joining McCarthy and Colgan on the Liberty League First Team. The victory gave the Thoroughbreds the right to host the Liberty League Championship in April. Skidmore returns to action at the GolfWeek Division III Invite, Oct. 9-11 in Miramar Beach, Fla.

Field hockey remained perfect with a pair of shutouts over No. 18 William Smith and Rochester. The fifth-ranked Thoroughbreds used an overtime goal from senior Annie Rosencrans (Riverside, Conn.) to take down William Smith on Friday. On Saturday, five different players scored a goal, led by three from senior Lauren Tobias (New City, N.Y.) in a dominating 7-0 win over Rochester. Freshman Haley McDougall (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) got the start in goal for both games, turning away seven shots on the weekend to earn a pair of victories. Skidmore is 8-0 overall and 3-0 in league play and has won 24 straight home games. They travel to No. 8 Middlebury for a 7 p.m. start tonight.

Women's soccer went 1-1 on the week, defeating No. 11 Union and falling to St. Lawrence. Against the Dutchwomen, junior Rebecca Russo (Belmont, Mass.) scored the game's lone goal on a header in the first half and senior goalie Meghan Sleezer (Gloversville, N.Y.) finished with four saves. Sleezer also made four saves in the double-overtime loss to St. Lawrence. The Thoroughbreds are now 6-2 overall and 1-1 in Liberty League action; they travel to second-ranked William Smith Friday, Sept. 30.

Volleyball won its only match of the week, defeating Union 3-1 on Friday night. Senior Kelley Vershbow (Washington, D.C.) had a match-high 20 kills to go along with 13 kills and junior Mallory Mendelsohn (San Francisco, Calif.) finished with 50 assists and nine digs. Skidmore hosts Amherst at 7 p.m. tonight.

Men's soccer went 0-2 this week, falling to Cazenovia and top-ranked St. Lawrence. Against Cazenovia, senior Ben Harwick (Hanover, N.H.) made four saves and at St. Lawrence, classmate Nick Peterson (West Hartford, Conn.) finished with 11 save. Skidmore is now 4-5 overall and 1-1 in the league, they host No. 9 Hobart at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30.

Women's tennis opened the 2011-12 season at the Williams Invite. On the second day of the Invite, senior Tory Engros (Bronxville, N.Y.) and sophomores Molly Nolan (Montauk, N.Y.) and Robyn Baird (Potomac, Md.) each won both of their singles matches as Skidmore wrapped up a strong showing. ~ By Cody Berschwinger