SPORTS
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September 24, 2009
Men’s soccer prepares for League games Elizabeth Pacheco
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Contributing Editor
Madeline Zappala for The Miscellany News
or the Vassar men’s soccer team, the first three weeks of the 2009 season can be described as nothing short of exciting. Over the course of seven games, the team has seen some solid wins, a tough loss to No. 2 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology, a comeback to defeat local rival the State University of New York at New Paltz, and most recently, a tough-fought overtime win this past weekend over Drew University. But the true tests of the season have not begun as this weekend marks the beginning of Liberty League competition for the Brewers. Since joining the League in 2002, Vassar has only made one appearance in the Liberty League Championship match held at the end of the regular season, and according to Head Coach Andy Jennings, achieving this again is the team’s top goal. What do the Brewers need to do to succeed? Jennings explained that “it will come down to avoiding mistakes and hoping we can capitalize on our moments of good play or moments of good luck. That will be the same for most of the teams in the League.” The Liberty League is one of the most competitive leagues in the country for men’s soccer, as well as many other sports. Hobart College entered the season ranked No. 12 and last year advanced to the third round of the national tournament. St. Lawrence University isn’t far behind. They were League Champions in 2008 and lost only in the second round of the national tournament. As co-captain Jake London ’10 explains, “every League game is a challenge and just as crucial.” The team’s overtime win this past Sunday, Sept. 20, looked to be an ideal warm-up for League play. Drew went up 1-0 early in the second half, but the Brewers rallied to tie up the score with only four minutes left in regula-
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Guest Reporter
BOX SCORES
eginning in the 2011-2012 academic year, the Liberty League, Vassar’s athletic conference, will welcome two new schools into the mix. Bard College and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will replace Hamilton College, who is joining the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), starting in that year. The League currently features nine full time members: Clarkson and St. Lawrence Universities, Hamilton, Hobart/William Smith, Skidmore, Union, and Vassar Colleges, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the University of Rochester. Bard joins the Liberty League from the Skyline conference, while RIT currently competes in the Empire 8. The addition of Bard is particularly important to Vassar’s teams. Bard is located in Annandale-on-Hudson, less than 24 miles from Vassar. This addition will reduce the distance that Vassar teams must travel. Due to the proximity of the two schools, Vassar and Bard may be set to develop one of the stronger rivalries, within a conference that already encourages rivals among schools that are phsyically so close to one another. Right now, Vassar is often seen as a bit of an odd man out in Liberty League travel. Union College in Schenectady, 78 miles from Vassar, is currently the closest rival institution. Hamilton College is located 182 miles from Vassar. Still, it’s not all good news for Vassar in the travel department, as incoming RIT is located 300 miles away.
SEPT. 19 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VASSAR COLLEGE
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Friday, sept. 25 women’s soccer vs. william smith 4 p.m.
Junior Jimmy Worboys gives a hard kick at the men’s soccer game against Drew University last Sunday, Sept. 20. The Brewers won the game with 6:22 left in the second overtime. tion time. The true test then came in the two periods of overtime. “In the past, I don’t think we would’ve come back to win that game,” said co-captain Brian Bianchetti ’10, who scored the game-winning goal (his second of the game) in the second overtime. “But we showed heart [in this game]. This season we have just shown a killer instinct to put teams away.” This early success is something Jennings has related back to the team’s depth. With 13 freshmen and one sophomore adding to a team of 11 returning players, the Brewers have a vital combination of both veteran experience and fresh talent. “It is the deepest squad I have ever had here and the commitment is very good,” said Jennings. “This depth pushes everyone, and I think we are developing a good, unselfish attitude.”
London and Bianchetti have also both attributed the successful start of their season to their coaches. “Continuity and coaching staff has helped have a serious impact on the development of the team,” said London. Bianchetti continued remarking that they have “really showed a new sense of synergy between coaching staff and players.” Although the team will begin their League schedule on the road against Hobart and Hamilton College this weekend, they’ll return home for two weeks to four games, two of them against League opponents Union and Skidmore College. And while the team will certainly be facing formidable opponents, judging by these first few weeks of play, the Brewers seem destined for a successful season this fall.
Bard College and RIT join Liberty League Andy Marmer
Sept. 24 - SEPT. 31
Meanwhile, several schools in the League already enjoy the convenience and rivalry that come with nearby competitors. Clarkson and St. Lawrence are located just 10 miles apart, while, Union and RPI are just 15 miles apart. Also, both Union and RPI are within 25 miles of Skidmore. Rochester will also benefit from the additions, as RIT is located only three miles from the University of Rochester. Due to their relative proximities, the schools have developed small rivalries within the conference. In the past, Vassar has been somewhat excluded from these relationships due to physical distance. Bard will take over as the smallest school in the conference with its 1,800 undergraduate students. In comparison, Union enrolls 2,000 students, while Vassar enrolls approximately 2,500. RIT’s enrollment in the conference is also noteworthy given that it has over 12,000 undergraduates—four times as many as any other Liberty League institution. Although the physical proximity between schools is narrowing, the size discrepancy between institutions may prove to be a key factor in which programs will ultimately dominate the championships. In a press release on the Liberty League website, both newly-admitted schools praised the Liberty League for its decision. “Bard College enthusiastically accepts the invitation to join the Liberty League. We believe that the Liberty League schools mix academic and athletic excellence in the right proportions,” said Dr. James Brudvig, Vice President for Administra-
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tion at Bard College. RIT’s administration expressed a similar viewpoint. “The acceptance into the Liberty League for all of our Division III sports is wonderful news on the campus, particularly for our scholar athletes,” said RIT President Dr. Bill Destler. “RIT fits in very well with the intercollegiate athletic philosophy of the other Liberty League institutions.” Both athletic directors expressed similar sentiments to their school administration. “We’re delighted to welcome Bard and RIT into the Liberty League,” said Jim McLaughlin, director of athletics at Union and league president in his official article on the NCAA website. The change in conferences is likely to build on a growing rivalry. If the annual invasion of the Bard pirates is any indication, many of Bard’s athletes will be fired up to play the Brewers. Athletically, Vassar and Bard have competed frequently in non-league, preseason play over the years in large part due to the short distance between them. On Sept. 16, Vassar defeated Bard 3-1 in men’s soccer in a game at Bard. Last year, the men’s soccer team defeated the Bard College Raptors 5-0 at Vassar. The women’s volleyball team will face Bard Oct. 17 in Newburgh, and Vassar also faces Bard regularly in men’s squash and men’s volleyball. Additionally, after a 6-0 victory last year in Annandale-on-Hudson, the women’s soccer team will face the Raptors Sept. 29 at Vassar. Although Bard’s addition may not make a huge change in Vassar’s schedule, both Vassar and RIT will undoubtedly raise the standard of competition among the league as a whole.
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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satruday, sept. 26 rowing at head of the hudson 8 a.m.
Sept. 26 - Sept. 27 women’s golf at mt. holyoke 10 a.m.
sunday, sept. 27 men’s rugby at sacred heart 10 p.m.
tuesday, sept. 29 women’s soccer vs. bard 7 p.m.
Wednesday, sept. 30 men’s soccer vs. scranton 4 p.m.