October 24, 2014
As the fall soccer season comes to a close, both the Hamilton men’s and women’s teams look to end the season on a high note. Both teams have just a few games left and are looking to make a push to proceed into the postseason. These remaining games are virtual must-wins for each squad with playoff aspirations on the line.
On Oct. 11, the women’s soccer team hosted the Bowdoin Polar Bears, the top ranked team in the NESCAC, and won the game by a final score of 1-0. Leading goal scorer Katja Dunlap ’18 scored the lone goal, her sixth of the season, in the 19th minute. Dunlap’s goal was the game-winner after the Hamilton defense shut down Bowdoin, allowing only three shots on goal over the whole 90 minutes. “Beating Bowdoin was a huge lift for our team. To go out there and beat the number one team in the league was really something special,” Rachel Hirsch ’15 said.
The following day, Oct. 12, Hamilton squared off against Middlebury at home. After falling behind 3-0 60 minutes into the game, Hamilton was quickly able to net two goals, a header by Victoria Freeman ’16 off of a corner kick delivered by Becca Rees ’16 in the 77th minute and a rebound from Darby Philbrick ’18, who followed upa shot by Hirsch. Unfortunately, the comeback came up just short, and the Continentals lost to Middlebury, 3-2. Players were able to find the positive light in the loss, though: “While we did not get the result we wanted against Middlebury, we showed that we have the ability to come back at any point,” Hirsch said.
This past Saturday, Oct. 18, the Hamilton women’s team faced off against the Colby Mules in Waterville, Maine. The Continentals fell, 1-0, after the Mules scored the game’s only goal in the sixth minute.
The women’s team will play at Tufts on Oct. 25 and finsh its season on Oct. 28 at home against Williams, which is a 3:30 pm kickoff.
The men’s soccer team struggled against NESCAC opponents this past week, dropping home games against Bowdoin and Middlebury. Against Bowdoin, Erich Marcks ’16 scored on a beautiful free kick that beat the Bowdoin keeper, but this was not enough to topple Bowdoin, with the game ending 3-1 in favor of the Polar Bears as the final whistle blew. The next day, Middlebury quickly capitalized on a Hamilton turnover, scoring on a give-and-go in the first minute. The Panthers added another in the 28th to complete a 2-0 shutout of the Continentals.
On Oct. 18, the Hamilton men’s team took on Colby in Maine, which proved to be a nail-biter for all 110 minutes of its duration. This 0-0 double overtime tie continued Hamilton’s all-time unbeaten streak against Colby. Goalkeeper Harris Pollack ’17 made 6 saves, preserving the shutout and, more importantly, the tie, improving the team’s season record to 5-5-2. “Our game against Colby was a thriller. We needed to win or tie to stay alive and we got a result that we needed,” Pollack said.
The Hamilton men took on SUNY Oneonta on Oct. 21, falling to the fourth-ranked team in Division III by a 1-0 tally. The game remained close throughout, but ultimately ended after the Continentals were unable to capitalize on two close chances to tie the game within the last minute of play. The Continentals fell to 5-6-2 on the year against the still-undefeated Oneonta squad.
The men’s team will also close out its regular season with a pair of NESCAC games against Tufts and Williams on Oct. 25 and 29, respectively. “Tufts is number one in the league table, but we know we can play with anyone as long as we minimize our mistakes and put the ball in the back of the net,” Pollack said. “I guarantee it will be an exciting ending.”
Both teams still have realistic playoff aspirations, though the men will likely need at least one win to crack the top eight. The women are on the verge of returning to the NESCAC postseason after barely missing out last season, needing just two points over their final two games to clinch a spot.
It will be an emotional end to the season for the Hamilton seniors who are playing in the final regular season games of their collegiate careers. “It’s definitely nostalgic and emotional as a senior,” Hirsch said. “Our senior class has been through a lot together, both on and off the field.” The experience has been incredible; I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
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