Sports
Fall club sports compete hard and achieve athletic success
By Will Kaback ’20
October 20, 2016
Tags sports
If the demanding, time-consuming requirements of a varsity sport seem like too big of a commitment, but the casual, inter-community nature of intramurals doesn’t light your competitive fire, then club sports represent a “Goldilocks zone” for prospective student-athletes. This fall, the College’s club teams have found success within a fun atmosphere and thorough manageable expectations. From soccer to rugby to ultimate frisbee and beyond, they have built upon strong tradition and dedicated members to create remarkable results.
According to Nick Falcone ’19, the men’s club soccer team has been characterized by one word: “energy.” The team has faced off against small-school opponents like Colgate and Clarkson as well as larger university teams like Syracuse and the University of Rochester. No matter the result, Falcone says the team has “still walked away holding our heads high.” He credits the team’s relentless attitude, saying they play hard “for the full 90 minutes.” In particular, Henry Shuldiner ’19 has been vital in goal, making incredible saves and keeping the team in many games. Falcone estimates that “over three quarters of our team are either first-years or sophomores,” and with record participation this year, the team looks to maintain its current success in the coming years.
The ultimate frisbee team is another example of a successful balance between work and play to be found among the club sports programs. The Ultimate Frisbee team prides itself on consistent practice and dedicated players. Jared Mandelbaum ’18 says the team practices “at least three days a week, and many members of the team come five days a week in addition to working out outside of practices.” He points out that there is both a mental and physical aspect to the game, and frequent practices have helped strengthen both these traits. The team had a successful showing at their first tournament in Buffalo, and Mandelbaum says the team’s new players showed themselves to be “a strong group” in their first taste of competition. Additionally, thanks to leaders like Jonah Boucher ’17—who has played through injury all season— the team has a slew of role models to guide the younger players through their first experience with ultimate frisbee.
Meanwhile, the women’s club soccer team has demonstrated consistent improvement over the course of the season, culminating in a triumphant finale at their Parent’s’ Weekend tournament. Coming into the weekend with a 1-3-1 record, the team beat St. Lawrence 6-0 and tied RPI 0-0 to finish their 2016 campaign with a solid 2-3-2 mark. Sarah Ostrow ’18 commends the team’s 10 seniors as being “leaders on the field as well as behind the scenes.” From the founding of the team in 2013 to the present, Ostrow says they have “put an unspeakable amount of time and effort into this team.” The team has seen a boom in participation, with around 40 players joining the team this fall and 24 consistently suiting up for every game. The infusion of first-year talent has created instant results for the team. Ostrow recounts a late game direct kick by Emma Belanger ’20 against Oneonta College that represented both the winning goal and the team’s first victory this season. Even though the original 10 leaders of the team will be graduating, it’s clear the team will continue to thrive in the future.
Women’s club rugby is perhaps one of Hamilton’s best know club teams. Kathryn Hobbis ’17 says the women’s rugby team has undergone “a bit of a rebuilding year,” but they still have much to be proud of. Most notably, they opened their season strong with a win over Oneonta College, and Hobbis says morale has been “great” throughout the season. Furthermore, Hobbis points to the team’s “rookies,” who have “breathed new life into the program” after the team graduated many players in recent years. Besides Hobbis, three other senior leaders, Elizabeth Starr ’17, Emily Randrup ’17 and Ella Dean ’17 have helped to usher in the new faces to the team while maintaining their own vital contributions.
Finally, after a strong performance at the Adirondack Canoe Classic, the canoe racing team has continued to stake its claim as one of the best squads in the region. Their fall season concluded on Sept. 24 at the Long Lake Boat Regatta in perhaps the most thrilling way imaginable. Sam Bernstein ’17 describes the race as having “a chaotic start,” but soon the Hamilton boat captained by Rachel Lannino ’17 and featuring Anne McGarvey ’17, Kevin Roback ’17 and Bernstein found itself neck and neck with their rivals from Paul Smith’s College. Despite Paul Smith’s maintained and prolonged edge, Bernstein says his boat “clung on tenaciously,” eventually utilizing a “Panamanian” maneuver to improve timing through stronger and longer strokes. As the boats charged into the final mile, the Hamilton boat pulled ahead of Paul Smith’s, ultimately hanging on to win the race by only five seconds. Lannino was thrilled to be able to go out on top after four years of battling with Paul Smith’s and said, “This was the perfect way to finish the last race of the fall, and it was so special to do it with the people I’ve paddled with for the last four years.”
Club sports offer a unique opportunity to compete against other schools without the substantial commitment of a varsity team. That said, dedication and practice are still important, and through balancing a fun, welcoming environment with rigor and challenge, players enjoy a resoundingly positive experience. Whether it is showing first-year players the ropes, competing against rival schools or building upon past years, every team has shown an ability to succeed and foster a distinct atmosphere within respective sports. With a wide range of possibilities to explore, club sports can appeal to lifelong athletes or those looking to try something new. All in all, as the team’s have shown this fall, there’s much to celebrate—and much to look forward to.