Women’s Basketball Defeats Wesleyan to Open Conference Play
After splitting their two games over break (win over Oneonta 54-43, loss to Susquehanna 69-59), the Mules hosted the Wesleyan Cardinals for their first NESCAC matchup of the season.
By the end of the first quarter Colby found themselves up eight, 20-12 highlighted by Kate Olenik and Lauren Cho netting six points apiece. The Mules continued to build on their lead after an impressive 17-6 second quarter for a big 19-point halftime advantage. The Cardinals tried to make a comeback with a strong first quarter, but the Mules held them off to take a 69-53 victory.
Olenik tallied her first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while multiple Mules also scored in double digits (Adaobi Nebuwa with 12, Lydia Mordarski with 11, and Cho with 10). Colby has now beaten the Cardinals in three straight and six of the last nine, and Olenik currently ranks fourth in the NESCAC with 16.5ppg.
The 9-4 Colby Women’s Basketball team will now head on the road to face Williams Friday and Middlebury Saturday in hopes to gather two more conference wins.
Women's Ice Hockey Steals Points From #7 Hamilton
After connecting for a season-high nine goals Tuesday against Plymouth State (Sophia Kennedy and Kylie Makuh scored two goals apiece), the Mules welcomed seventh-ranked Hamilton for an important conference weekend series.
In Friday night's opener, the Mules paced out to a 2-1 victory with goals by Audrey Shirer and Kennedy's third of the week. A late third period goal by the Continentals erased goaltender Paige Bolyard's bid for her first shutout of the season.
In Saturday's rematch, Hamilton struck first early in the second after the two opponents skated to a scoreless opening period. Sophie Melsness was able to knot the score moments later, but the visitors connected once more to head into the final frame up by one.
Meg Rittenhouse evened the score early in the third frame with her NESCAC-leading 8th goal of the season, pushing the match to overtime. Hamilton scored 27 seconds into the extra frame to earn the win, but the weekend solidified Colby as one of the top teams in the conference. Bolyard's 31 saves Saturday matched a career-high.
Colby is now 8-2-0 on the season, tied for 6th in the crowded NESCAC standings.
Men's Ice Hockey Collects Season-High Seven Goals Against Saint A's
Returning from winter break for a non-conference showdown with Division II Saint Anselm College, Colby set a new season-high with seven goals. John McElaney and James Tepper led the way with two goals apiece, and Henry Molson added three points with a goal and two assists in the 7-2 victory.
Over the weekend the Mules returned to conference play with their longest road trip of the season, falling to Hamilton 4-2 and Amherst 3-2. Against the Continentals first-years Donovan O'Neil and Bobby Landry netted their first collegiate goals, and McElaney tallied a goal and an assist against the Mammoths, moving him into 10th in the NESCAC with 10 points on the season. Andy Beran now has 271 saves on the campaign, third most in the conference.
Colby is now 3-5-2, sitting in 8th place in the NESCAC standings.
Men’s Basketball Opens New Year with Win Over MMA
Before taking on #8 Trinity and Wesleyan over the weekend to open up the conference schedule (loss to Trinity 83-69, loss to Wesleyan 101-83), the Mules defeated Maine Maritime Academy on their home court 88-74.
The game remained close throughout the opening half and most of the second as the Mariners stayed close. With nine minutes to go in the game, the Mules began to pace out in front, finding themselves up 17 with just three minutes to go due to 21-8 run. A big impact on the win was Colby’s ability to rack up 17 second chance points compared to MMA’s three.
Lucas Green led the way totaling 20 points for a new season-high with Jack Lawson right behind netting 19. Max Poulton also scored in double digits adding 15 points to go along with five steals while Liam O’Connell finished with 11 points.
Lawson averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds across the three games this week, and his 15.6 ppg is good for ninth in the NESCAC.
The Mules are now 7-7 on the season (0-2 in conference play) and will host Williams Friday and Middlebury Saturday to continue conference play.
Swimming & Diving Competes at Orange Bowl Classic
For their winter break training trip the Mules headed down to sunny Key Largo, Florida to participate in the Orange Bowl Classic at the Jacobs Aquatic Center. Although it was a non-scored event, Colby still competed against tough competition while getting in high quality reps before heading back to the snowy winter weather to prepare for the second half of their schedule.
Saturday the Mules will take on Middlebury in Vermont.
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