In Poughkeepsie, the trees shed their leaves and the weather turns cold, but not before the Brewers capture their fair share of fall sports titles. Vassar sports have been on a well-earned tear this fall. Fall athletes arrived on campus weeks before the start of classes, and months later, they are reaping the benefits of this hard work. The Vassar Athletics department fields eight teams whose primary championship season is the fall, and of the eight, three earned championships in their respective conferences. The women’s cross country team and men’s soccer team won the Liberty League Championship, and the women’s rugby team won the Tri-State Conference Championship. Despite not winning their conference championship, the women’s soccer team, men’s cross country team and men’s rugby team are all succeeding this fall. The women’s soccer team exited the Liberty League Championship in the semifinals after a strong season, earning the squad an 11-3-5 record. On Nov. 11, the squad received a well-earned at-large bid to the NCAA National Championship tournament. The appearance will be the second in program history and the first under fourth-year head coach Keith Simons. The men’s cross country team raced to a second place finish out of eight scoring teams at the ECAC Championship. Levi Lilienthal ’25 led the way for Vassar with a third place finish out of 55 total finishers with a time of 27:29 on the 8k course. The men’s rugby team fell to Hofstra University in the semifinals of the Tri-State Conference Championship 19-67. The team will regroup in the spring. All in all, Vassar continues to show out this fall with teams still competing for national glory.
Men’s Soccer: Liberty League Champions
On Sunday, Nov. 10 the Vassar men’s soccer team defeated the St. Lawrence Saints in penalty kicks. The contest remained knotted 0-0 for 110 minutes thanks to incredible goalkeeping from both sides. Vassar goalie Jacob Raphan ’27 totalled 10 saves and a shutout, and St. Lawrence senior goalie George Charlambous added 11 saves and a shutout, keeping the Saints in the contest as Vassar pummeled the opposition throughout the match. The Vassar offense was knocking on the door for the entire game, finishing the contest with a 34-19 advantage in overall shots and a 14-10 edge in shots on goal. Despite the attacking advantage, the final whistle blew, and the match remained even. Twenty minutes of golden-goal extra time went by without a goal. The teams stood side-by-side at center field as they watched their months of hard work culminate in 10 decisive penalty shots. From Vassar, Duncan Keker ’25, Jared Fiske ’26, Arden Tobolski ’28 and Otis Wildman ’26 converted their shots before a critical save from Raphan and a St. Lawrence miss sent Gordon Field into celebration. Supporters stormed the field, and the team exhaled a sigh of relief. Almost two hours of offensive bombardment finally gave way, and the Vassar Brewers claimed the Liberty League Championship. Keker earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, netting a goal in the semifinals and scoring a critical penalty in the finals. The team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championship tournament where they will travel to Middlebury, VT to take on Rowan University in the first round of the tournament. The game will be played at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 and can be viewed on NCAA.com.
Women’s Cross Country: Liberty League Champions
The women’s cross country team had a dominant fall campaign, capturing their second Liberty League team title in many years and finishing with 36 points at the Liberty League Championship race. Leading the way this season was the 2023-24 Vassar Athletics Betty Richey Performer of the Year winner Haley Schoenegge ’27. The superstar sophomore took home gold at the Liberty League title race on Saturday, Nov. 2, setting a Ronald C. Hoffman Cross Country Course record. Not only was it a course record, but Schoenegge’s time was also the fastest time in Liberty League Championship 6K history. The Brewers’ success continued after Schoenegge crossed the finish line with Adelaide Nyhan ’27 finishing fifth and Anna Kaigle ’25 finishing seventh. Schoenegge, Nyhan and Kaigle were recognized with All Liberty League First Team honors. Coming off an injury, Norah Reade ’27 quickly bounced back and ran a 22:33.8, which was good for eighth and garnered her All Liberty League Second Team. Rounding out the Brewers’ strong day on the campus of St. Lawrence University were the performances of Cayley Swain ’27, Noni Pattington ’25 and Acadia Helfand ’27. Finishing 15th, 20th and 21st respectively, Swain, Pattington and Helfand added crucial depth to the Brewers’ squad, helping the Brewers to an average time of 22:14. All three Brewers were recognized with All Liberty League Honorable Mentions. In total, the Brewers led the Liberty League with an impressive seven all-league selections. After their success at the Liberty League Championship, the Brewers kept their momentum on their way to another team victory on Nov. 9 at the ECAC championship in Milton, NY. Sweeping first through seventh, the Brewers coasted to a perfect 15 points. Leading the way was Lizzie Lowe ’28, crossing the finish line with a season best 24:22.8. The Brewers hope to keep this momentum as they head into the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship next Saturday in New London, CT.
Women’s Rugby: Tri-State Conference Tournament Champions
Last fall, the Vassar women’s rugby team fell short in a painful loss to Columbia University in the Tri-State Tournament Championship game. But this year, the Brewers made no mistake, claiming the tournament title with a 37-7 win over Fairfield University. Jude Robinson ’26 (4), Sophia Bailey ’26 (2) and Emma Niehaus ’27 (1) all contributed with critical tries to give Vassar the win. The game was tight at the half as the squad led just 15-7, but as the whistle blew to begin the ladder portion of the game, Bailey wasted no time, putting Vassar up even more with both of her tries coming in a critical moment. With this victory, the Brewers extended their undefeated season, tallying 11 victories without a loss since their fall campaign began. Next, the women’s rugby team will travel to Virginia to compete in the National Collegiate Rugby South Regional Championship.
Conclusion
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching and the fall sports season coming to an end, the Brewers are making the most of their time left. After capturing their third Liberty League Championship in program history, the men’s soccer team is looking to keep their form as they gear up for the NCAA tournament. Leading his side to a second NCAA tournament appearance in just three years, head coach Jonathan Hood, PhD is leaning on the experience of the upperclassmen leaders to keep the Brewers in the moment and playing as a unit. The women’s soccer team will join the boys in burg in the women’s national tournament. The women’s soccer team will travel to Newport News, VA to take on St. Mary’s (MD) in the first round of the tournament. The game will be played at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 and can be viewed on NCAA.com. The women’s cross country team is also hoping to make a splash in the NCAA Championship following their Liberty League win. The team travels to New London, CT on Nov. 16 with championships in sight. Finally, the women’s rugby team will pursue a national championship in Virginia in the National Collegiate Rugby South Regional Championship after falling short last season in the title game to Wisconsin Eau-Claire. As the winter seasons begin, the Brewers’ fall athletes have unfinished work. Long bus rides and early, cold evenings underscore national tournament games that could be the teams’ last on the road to national championship. Good luck to the Vassar men’s and women’s soccer teams, women’s rugby team and men’s and women’s cross country teams in the remainder of your fall season!