As a new year at Vassar is set to begin, the upcoming fall season for Vassar athletics promises to provide exciting matches and a strong showcase of Vassar’s top athletes. With one team looking to redeem a tough loss in the Liberty League Finals, and another premiering a brand new coach and the influx of talented new freshman, the fall season will be one to watch for fellow sports lovers.
Any returning Vassar student remembers the crushing defeat that the Men’s Soccer team faced against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the Liberty League Finals. Taking place on Vassar’s home turf, many were witness as the regular game ended with the score tied 1-1. After two periods of overtime, the game went to penalty kicks, when, to the dismay of most, RPI pulled out four goals to Vassar’s two, giving them the win.
The team is now back for a new season of redemption. Their first match will be a home game against Dutchess Community College on August 21. Liberty League matches start on September 28 against rivals Skidmore College. Lead by head coach Andy Jennings for his 24th year at Vassar College, the team aims at winning the title that escaped their grasp last year.
Vassar Cross Country, comprised of both women and men, will have a busy schedule this season. Starting in late August, Vassar’s Cross Country team will have it’s first race at the Marist Invitational. Throughout the upcoming season, the team will strive to get as many individual runners to compete in the NCAA finals to be held in mid November.
Vassar’s Field Hockey team has faced a great deal of changes as of late, with former head coach Cara Reese, who stepped down from her position recently, being replaced by Mr. Michael Wariri. Wariri came to Vassar after serving as assistant coach of fired hockey at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. However, Wariri proves to have a lot of experience that will be beneficial to the team. Before his coaching career, Warari started for the Kenyan Junior National Field Hockey Team and was voted MVP for the Aga Khan Club Field Hockey Tournament in 1996. Under his guidance, the FIeld Hockey team looks to improve on their 0-6 performance during last year’s conference games.
Women’s Soccer has also gone under coaching changes, with a new addition of Pamela Monnier as assistant coach to the team. Monnier comes to Vassar after one year of work in multiple roles for SUNY Cortland. Starting in March 2012, she held positions as an Athletics Leadership Retreat Staff, Athletics Event Staff, Assistant Director for Summer Sports Camps, as well and as an Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach. With her experience as a coach and a college player herself, Monnier looks to add a new dynamic to the team. Going 3-5 in conference games, the team looks to improve and contend for the upcoming Liberty League title.
Rounding out the fall season is the Women’s Volleyball team. The team come into this season as known competitors, having come off a successful season last fall. However, the team has lost a lot of strong players from the class of 2013, including both co-captains from the 2012 fall season, Chloe McGuire and Hilary Koenigs. Headed by coach Jonathan Penn and assistant coach Mike Pomares, the team seeks to use their momentum to their advantage and come out with a championship.
Vassar’s fall season already has been privy to changes, yet the matches have not begun. One thing is certain, however, all teams will be aiming at putting their hands on that coveted Liberty League trophy.