Nordic Skiing Opens EISA Circuit in Lake Placid
The Nordic Ski Team opened the 2026 EISA Carnival season Sunday with the 10k Classic event hosted by St. Lawrence. Led by first-year James Underwood (4th place), the men's team finished third behind Dartmouth and UVM. The women's team finished 6th in the 11-team event.
In a rare Sunday/Tuesday series to open the season, this year's St. Lawrence Carnival is taking place in conjunction with US Nationals, with results of EISA skiers pulled out of the 300+ competitors.
Underwood, racing in his first college series, cruised through the 10k and narrowly missing the podium. His fourth place finish kept him in good company behind 2025 national champion John Steel Hagenbuch (Dartmouth) and two Catamounts from Vermont. Andrew Defor, an NCAA Championship quaifier from a year ago, also netted himself a top-10 finish.
MEN'S 10k CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS, TOP-30:
- 4th - Underwood, 27:34.2
- 10th - Defor, 27:51.5
- 16th - Benjamin Lewis, 28:04.3
- 29th - Finn Christiansen, 28:54.1
The women's team, racing without Olympic hopeful Maddie Hooker (AUS), found great success with three in the top-20 and four in the top-25.
WOMEN'S 10k CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS, TOP-30:
- 18th - Natalie O'Brien, 33:04.9
- 19th - Lola Villafranco, 33:13.8
- 20th - Lydia Kraker, 33:20.6
- 25th - Margo Nightingale, 33:42.4
The second scored event of the carnival will take place on Tuesday with Freestyle Sprint heats.
Men’s Basketball Closes Out 2025 Slate, Sets Sights on Conference Matchups
The Mules wrapped up their holiday stretch with two wins at Springfield’s Naismith New Years Invitational before returning to Maine in a battle with the Bobcats. *Since the last MWR publication, Colby also took care of Maine Maritime after the conclusion of final exams 84-58 prior to the winter break.
The Mules set the tone early on New Year’s Eve against the hosting Pride, building a 23-point halftime lead behind a dominant offensive outing from Dan Civello, who finished with 30 points on 12–19 shooting. Max Poulton added 13 points and six rebounds, and Savion Stroud directed the offense with eight assists as the Mules controlled the paint and the glass throughout for the 81-67 win.
The following day, Colby closed out the tournament with another victory 79-68 leading from start to finish over Oneonta. Sam Hinman had a huge performance delivering 22 points, including four three-pointers off the bench. Colby’s depth showed throughout, producing 40 bench points and a 46–30 rebounding advantage.
Both Civello (tournament MVP) and Hinman earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Back in Maine at Bates, the Mules led at halftime and pushed their advantage to eight early in the second half before the Bobcats responded with a decisive run. Marcos Montiel paced the Mules with 14 points, Mitch Humphrey added 13, and Mason Dobie scored 10 off the bench. Colby pulled down 41 rebounds but couldn’t overcome a cold second half from the field resulting in the 90-72 setback.
Colby Men’s Basketball (9-2) returns home for the first time since November this week hosting Conn. College Friday night and Tufts Saturday to open NESCAC play.
Mules Split Weekend at Utica Tournament
Colby's Women’s Ice Hockey team split a pair of tightly contested games at the Utica Tournament, falling to Cortland in overtime before bouncing back with a decisive win over the hosting Pioneers.
In game one, the Mules fell 2-1 to the Red Dragons in a hard-fought matchup. Lulu Gray opened the scoring in the second period, assisted by Courtney Schumacher and Breanna Studley. Cortland knotted the game late in the third and then secured the win with an overtime goal. Colby had two opportunities on the power play in regulation but did not convert. The Mules responded in the second game with a dominant 5-1 victory over Utica. Studley opened the scoring in the first period at the 15:12 mark, and the Mules built a commanding lead in the second with goals from Courtney Schumacher and Marion Legge. Molly Lefebvre and Megan Martodam added insurance goals in the third, giving Colby a balanced offensive effort. Colby went 2-for-3 on the power play, and strong team defense limited the Pioneers to a single goal. Studley finished with three assists in the contest to go alongside her first period goal helping her land a spot on the All-Tournament team.
The Mules, now with a 5-2 overall record, return to NESCAC action hosting Hamilton Friday and Saturday this week.
Men’s Ice Hockey Opens 2026 with Lobster Pot Tournament
The Mules kicked off the New Year at the First Annual Lobster Pot Tournament in Falmouth, Maine, consisting of the four Maine Division III institutions with Ice Hockey programs. Colby battled Bowdoin, Southern Maine, and the University of New England with Bowdoin taking the trophy.
The Mules opened the tournament with a challenging matchup against the #7 ranked Nor’Easters on January 2, falling 5-1. Colby’s lone goal came from Colby Browne, assisted by Matthew MacDonald, but the nationally-ranked UNE offense proved too strong, scoring four unanswered goals to conclude the contest. The Mules bounced back the next day against Southern Maine with a tight 4-3 victory. MacDonald scored twice, while Browne and Reese Farrell also found the back of the net. With the teams tied at three goals apiece, Browne’s NESCAC leading tenth goal of the season at the 16:49 mark of the final period was the deciding factor.
The 6-3-1 Mules are set to host Saint Anselm Tuesday before returning to conference play at Amherst and Hamilton over the weekend.
Colby Opens 2026 with a Busy Week of Action
The Women’s Basketball team began the New Year with a busy stretch of three road games in four days, working through a mix of wins and close losses.
The week began on December 30 at Albertus Magnus, where Colby pulled out a 56–48 victory behind strong all-around play. Shea Donnelly led the way with a 12 point, 11 rebound double-double, while Emily Ryan added 10 points, five assists, and five rebounds. The Mules controlled the boards 46–34 and converted key free throws down the stretch to secure the road win. On New Year’s Day, Colby opened Springfield’s Naismith New Years Tournament against Cortland in a tightly contested game that ended in a narrow 59–57 defeat. Kate Olenik had a team-high 20 points to go alongside five rebounds and three steals, with Lydia Mordarski chipping in 13 points and five boards. Colby shot 36.4% from the field but hit 19 free throws to stay in the game. The contest featured six lead changes and five ties but a last-second tip in sealed the game for Cortland. The week concluded the next day with a 53-39 loss to Springfield. Olenik grabbed 12 rebounds on top of seven points and Mordarski added nine points and six boards. The Mules managed to limit Springfield to 22 second half points but could not overcome an early first half deficit. Olenik was named to the All-Tournament team for her effort in the two games.
The 6-4 Colby Women’s Basketball team heads back to Mayflower Hill Monday night hosting MIT.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Wendy Adam P'27, Bonnie Baker Photography, Phillip Belena Photography, Stephen R. Clouthier, Alexis Coates '28, Ashley Conti, Traigh DeMasi '28, Matthew Freeman '29, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Rob Hess, Josie Kim '29, Peter Li '26, Jennifer Maguire P'26, Michael Maher, Logan Marku '28, Gregory Rec, Reese Robinson '27, Daryn Slover P'28, Isadora Wells '26, Ansley White '26, and the Colby Communications team.