Women's Soccer Stuns #9 MIT
Following a 0-0 draw on Tuesday against the Bowdoin Polar Bears, the Mules hosted nationally ranked MIT on Sunday, erupting for four goals and upsetting the Engineers in dominant fashion.
To kickstart the match, Pepper Joseph got Colby on the board first in the 18th minute on a feed from Jackie Portogallo. Corrigan Rayhill added on to the Mules lead (first goal of the season) before heading into halftime for a 2-0 Colby advantage against the 9th-ranked MIT club. In the second half, the Mules kept on the accelerator, notching a third goal off of Sophie DiGrande’s penalty kick. With one minute remaining in the match Colby found the back of the net once again with a goal from Lucy Robinson off a long distance free kick. The Mules defense, combined with MK Marshall’s four saves, led to Marshall's fourth shutout of the season.
The Mules have defeated three nationally ranked teams this year. #19 Hartford, #17 Hamilton, and now #9 MIT.
Women’s Soccer sits at 5-6-3 overall and will face Bates Tuesday in Lewiston to close out the season.
Three More Wins for Volleyball as the Mules Enter Final Week of Regular Season
In a week filled with non-conference play, the Mules took down Maine Maritime (3-0), Wheaton (3-0), and Endicott (3-1) with their only setback coming at the hands of Illinois Wesleyan (3-1).
On the road against MMA, Colby took a 3-0 sweep in dominant fashion, including a runaway 25-9 second set. As a team the Mules gathered an impressive tally of aces (10) and blocks (nine). Individually the scoring was led by Sarah Friedrichs with seven kills, followed by Brady Moseley with six.
Back in the Margaret. M Crook Center Friday for Senior Night, Colby topped Wheaton in straight sets. Sydney Bopp finished with seven kills with LJ Grant right behind at six. Allison Rodriguez totaled 19 assists.
Celebrating Homecoming Saturday, the Mules defeated Endicott by a scoreline of 3-1, notching 13 aces and nine blocks in the match. Grant led the charge with 11 kills in total as Moseley acquired ten. Sydney Sick and Rodriguez combined for 35 assists while Reanna Yadao contributed 20 digs.
The Mules are now 16-6 heading into their final conference weekend on the road in the western region of the Bay State (Amherst, Williams). Colby currently rests in second place in the NESCAC.
Crew Competes at Annual Head of the Charles
This past weekend the rowing world descended on Boston, Mass. for the Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest multi-day regatta in the world. Colby was well represented with over 40 Mules from current varsity squads, as well as alumni ranging from the classes of '76 through '23 racing over the course of the three-day event.
The Men’s V8 boat raced in the club event that included club crews from across the country. In the cold, rainy, and windy conditions the Mules finished 19th out of 36 crews, ahead of DIII rivals Coast Guard and Middlebury.
"The team has done a great job this fall of putting in the work it will take to achieve its goals, and the crew that raced on Saturday has done a great job getting a little bit faster each day. They handled the conditions and the environment very well. We're proud of them and are looking forward to our only home race of the season this weekend." - Head Coach Stew Stokes
On the Women’s side, the Mules raced into three miles of head wind in the collegiate women's 8 event against some of the top crews in the country. Colby finished 28th and had one of their most consistent and aggressive races, topping DIII rivals Conn. College and William Smith.
"CWC did a great job today of stepping up to the challenges that the race course, the conditions and the competition posed for everyone out there. We had a number of folks taking their first trip ever down the Charles course and they rowed a tough race that they can be proud of and use as a building block." - Head Coach Stew Stokes
Colby will close out their fall season next weekend when they host the CBB at the Hume Center. The event can be streamed at nsnsports.com/colby starting at 9:00am.
Field Hockey Collides with #11 Bowdoin
Facing the Polar Bears in their final home contest of the 2023 campaign, the Colby Field Hockey team was set on upending a trend (Bowdoin was the winner in the last 17 matchups entering the contest).
Colby got on the board first when Molly Mitchell opened the scoring in the first quarter, assisted by Lillian Kistner. The 11th-ranked Polar Bears answered with two of their own before Casey Winslow tallied her team-leading sixth goal of the season to send the two rivals into the break knotted at two goals apiece. Kistner recorded the assist again, bringing her season total in points to 13.
Bowdoin was able to convert for their third goal of the game near the end of the third quarter, maintaining the lead for the final 15 minutes to secure the one-score victory. This marks just the third time in the last 18 meetings that the matchup was decided by a single score. Emily Loeb had eight saves in the cage for the Mules.
Colby's final game of the 2023 season will be in Lewiston Tuesday evening when the Mules take on #10 Bates College.
Hamilton Halts Football's Win Streak at Three
Colby took a three-game win streak into Saturday's Homecoming matchup against the Hamilton Continentals. Despite Hamilton entering the contest looking for their first win of the season, the series matchup has been level over the last five meetings, with three one-score decisions and the Continentals owning the series 3-2.
Without three defensive starters, and with two more active but in casts, the Mules were fighting for every yard from the get-go, as indicated by the game plan of trying to move the ball on the ground. The two squads were nearly identical in the opening quarter (Hamilton tallied 68 yards to Colby's 67), and the Mules opened the scoring early in the second with Christos Tzoumakas's fifth field goal of the season. After a Continental touchdown in the second quarter, Tzoumakas connected once more halfway through the third quarter, sending the game into the final frame with Colby trailing by one.
The visitors controlled the ball, and field position, in the fourth quarter (TOP Hamilton 11:00, Colby 4:00) and converted for a rushing score as well as an insurance field goal to end Colby's win streak at three games.
Matt McHugh was over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season, collecting seven passes for 120 yards. Quarterback Thomas Keeling recorded career-highs in completions and attempts, as well as passing yards with 260. Colby was kept out of the end zone for the first time this season.
The Mules are now 3-3 and will host Middlebury (5-1) next weekend.
Men's Soccer Tallies Season-High Seven Goals Against Maine Maritime
Despite falling to Bowdoin College earlier in the week (lone goal by Eduardo Casanova), the Mules battled back for a huge victory over Maine Maritime on Saturday.
Colby got on the board first from a Mario Simoes penalty kick just five minutes into the match. The Mariners were able to tie it up in the 15th minute before the Mules started their scoring rampage, notching two more goals in the first half followed by four more in the second on a team total 32 shots. Simoes was responsible for a hat trick and Nicholas Donnelly found the back of the net twice. Joseph Beshel and Myles Culley scored one apiece.
Colby is now 5-6-2 overall and will close out the season Tuesday at Maine rival Bates.
C Club Celebrates Jennifer Lally Kent '90 and Matt Hancock '90 at the 120th C Club Awards
Saturday night the Colby C Club delivered two prestigious awards, the Carl E. Nelson Sports Achievement Award and the C Club Person of the Year Award. Jennifer Lally Kent '90 and Matt Hancock '90 were the deserving recipients, and the tremendous outpouring of support and camaraderie shook Cotter Union.
Jennifer (winner of the Carl E. Nelson Sports Achievement Award) was a three-sport athlete at Colby competing in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. She served as captain and was honored as an All-American in lacrosse. She was awarded the Norman White '50 Award for inspirational leadership her senior year. Over her 30+ year coaching career, Jennifer has won championships at every level of amateur women's lacrosse, including the 2021 NCAA D1 Women's National Championship with Boston College. She has coached in six NCAA Final Fours and has turned BC Women's Lacrosse into a national powerhouse while serving as the Associate Head Coach.
Matt (winner of the C Club Person of the Year Award) is a Maine Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, McDonald's Division III Player of the Year, and is the all-time leading scorer at Colby. He was awarded the E.W. Millett '25 Award for the greatest contribution to Colby Athletics in their four years as a senior. Matt was a key player in endowing the Richard L. Whitmore Jr. Men’s Head Basketball Coach Fund, Colby Men's Basketball Asst. Coach Fund in Honor of John "Swisher" Mitchell, the Richard L. Whitmore, Jr. Legacy Fund, and contributing to the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. Additionally, Matt is a former C Club President and an inaugural member of the Colby Athletics & Recreation Association Council.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Bonnie Baker Photography, Cole Burkhart '24, Steve Cheney P25, Stephen R. Clouthier, Ashley Conti, Jamie Fiedorek '25, Colin Flood '26, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Michael Garrett P23, Andrew Hearns P24, Peter Li '26, Michael Maher, Joshua McKee, Dustin Satloff '15, Ellie Sawyer P25, Bill Stevenson P24, Isadora Wells '26, Ansley White '26