Though the fall semester has just begun, for weeks varsity teams have been playing their way to victories – or losses. Their performances so far can help us predict what will happen during the rest of the season.
The field hockey team, one of Smith’s best teams in recent memory, quickly got to work defending their status as reigning NEWMAC champions. Last season they won their conference, allowing them to go onto the NCAA Division III field hockey championships. In the tournament, they beat Montclair State before being knocked out by Tufts in the second round.
The Pioneers started out their 2019 season on a high note, crushing Westfield State 9-1 on Aug. 31. Forward Vivian Nelson ’20 racked up the most points, with 3 goals and 2 assists. Unfortunately, the team dropped the ball their next two games. They lost a narrow 1-2 match against SUNY Cortland on Sept. 1, and Trinity College beat them 1-5 on Sept. 7.
The team stays a competitive force and remains optimistic. Channy Cornell ’22, the team’s starting goalie, said, “I’m really looking forward to this season! We won our first game by a landslide, and now we are getting into some real competition. Because we still have this ‘reign’ from the 2018 season due to us winning NEWMACs and traveling to the NCAA Tournament, it’s so much more fun to play. We know we can do it and are ready to do it again!”
Soccer posted a strong start to the season with two wins, one against UMass Boston and the other against Bard College. This past weekend, they played twice, once at Nichols College and once at home against Amherst. Both games were close 0-1 losses. Their balanced 2-2 record looks similar to last season; in 2018, they finished with an 8-10 record.
Although we’re four games into the season, the Pioneers haven’t played a conference game yet. Their first is scheduled for Sept. 21 at Wellesley. Fans should be eager to watch the conference take shape in the weeks to come.
Volleyball had their fifth match on Sept. 7 at Salve Regina. Volleyball hasn’t picked up a win this season, but beyond the team’s scores, many individual players have posted impressive stats. Evi Evgeniou ’23 has a hitting percentage of 0.19. On the more defensive end, outside hitter and defensive specialist Gabby Beckman ’23, holds the best individual stats for digs per set at 4.20. To put that in context, Beckman is ranked 227 among Division III individuals in the NCAA.
