November 7, 2013
While varsity sports get much of the attention in college athletics, there are also thriving club sports here on the Hill. Among these is the recently formed women’s club soccer team. The team, comprised of 30 women, competes against other teams from across the northeast. Although it is a club team, most of the players come from soccer backgrounds and have a solid skill base.
This past weekend, the team travelled to Binghamton University to compete in a tournament against Binghamton and SUNY Cortland. The tournament was organized as a fundraiser for breast cancer research. Through various means, the team raised over $450.
In the first game, Hamilton took on Binghamton in an hour-long match. Previously this season, the team lost to Binghamton 1-2. However, the Continentals were able to power past the Bearcats this round. In the earlier matchup, Hamilton went in with a solid team, complete with six subs, however the players were still overwhelmed by the Binghamton offense. But with only one player on the bench, the Continentals were able to stay strong and take a 1-0 victory.
Phoebe Greenwald ’15, the team’s president, said “It [the win over Binghamton] showed how far we’ve come this fall in terms of fitness, and it also proved that we could put what we’ve been working on in practice to use.”
The Binghamton game showcased the skills of Catherine Conroy ’16, Amelia Denny ’17, Katie Conroy ’16 and Nicole Saitta ’16. With both the winning goal, and the first goal of her career, Denney is truly making her mark as a first-year on the team. Conroy had the assist on Denny’s goal, while Saitta took the lead with defense. Saitta has served as the team’s acting captain as well as holding the defense together.
After a hard-fought game against Binghamton, the team went into the game against SUNY Cortland exhausted. Even with fatigue setting in, the players were able to hold Cortland to just one goal, losing 1-0.
“Cortland is a pretty tough, well established team, so we were actually excited about our continued effort and the result, despite the loss,” said Greenwald.
Considering the fact that the team was made up of seven members who practiced in the Alumni Gym last year, it has made massive strides. Now the team boasts a roster of 30 women and plays in challenging games against other strong schools. Greenwald remarked on the team: “We’re a new team and fortunate in that we have a bunch of very skilled girls.” It will be exciting to see where the team goes in the seasons to come.
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