WIH Rocks the HAARC With Three Goals Late, Advances to Semifinals, Sets Program Mark with 16 Wins
The Colby Women's Ice Hockey team entered the NESCAC tournament as the No. 2 seed, hosting Trinity on Saturday. Earlier this season, Colby beat Trinity 7-0, followed by a 3-2 overtime win in Hartford. The Mules were looking to complete the sweep of the Bantams, but Trinity came to play.
After a scoreless first period, the visitors struck in the second with a goal flying past a screened Nina Prunster. The Mules pressed the rest of the period, and into the third, but despite a heavy advantage in shots on goal, Colby couldn't find their way past the Trinity defense.
With six minutes remaining in the 3rd period, a Colby penalty made it look like the Bantams would lengthen their lead. Instead, Tate Senden intercepted the puck and raced the length of the ice, flipping the short handed game-tying score over the goalie's near shoulder. The O'Neil | O'Donnell Forum shook with electricity.
Nearing the final minute of regulation, it appeared the game would be headed to overtime. McKinley Karpa, fresh out of the penalty box, had other ideas. Pressing the Bantams deep in their own end, the forward forced a turnover and muscled the puck through the pads of the Trinity goalie, putting the Mules ahead 2-1 with 60 seconds to play.
A late empty net goal by Lexi Cafiero secured Colby's place in the conference semifinals, and marked the most wins in program history (16 wins), topping the 15 wins from the 2019-20 season. The Mules will head to Middlebury this coming weekend to face Amherst Saturday at 4:30pm. The winner advances to the championship game on Sunday.
The game can be streamed at NSNSports.net/conferences/nescac.
MIH Sends Tufts Home, Hosts Remainder of NESCAC Tournament
Entering the NESCAC Playoffs as the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2007-08, Colby hosted the Tufts Jumbos Sunday for quarterfinal action. The Mules outpaced Tufts 4-0 and 3-0 earlier this season, and looked to compete the sweep in the O'Neil | O'Donnell Forum and advance to the conference semifinals.
After the Mules jumped out to an early lead off a Brian Sanzone goal, the Jumbos quickly answered, scoring their first goal against Colby this season and showing they came to play. The first period ended knotted at one goal apiece.
The second frame was controlled by Colby, as the Mules extended their lead to 3-1, with goals by John McElaney and Jacob Thousand. The third period followed suit, as Colby refused to let Tufts gain any momentum. McElaney tallied his second of the game, and Carter Breitenfeldt sounded the alarm and sent the Jumbos home with the fifth and final score of the afternoon. McElaney tallied a career-high four points with two goals and two assists. Defenseman Jack Sullivan was on the ice for all five Colby goals, earning a +5 on the afternoon.
Tickets will be available for purchase two hours before game time (spectators must wear masks), and the game can be streamed at NSNSports.net/conferences/nescac.
Staying alive as the top seed in the conference means the remainder of the tournament will be played on the ice of the Jack Kelley Rink on Mayflower Hill. Colby is set to take on No. 5 Hamilton Saturday at 4:30pm, with the winner to play for the conference championship Sunday at 2:00pm.
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Nordic Skiing Ends EISA Circuit Hot, Sends Three Women to NCAA Championships
With the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) circuit entering its final weekend, the Mules had a lot on the line. Senior Erin Bianco had been finishing consistently in the top-10 all season, including a spot on the podium at UVM. She is also one of the top dual-discipline skiers in the East, having her in contention for her second All-East Selection. Rose Clayton had been skiing faster and faster over the last few weeks, moving herself up the rankings for NCAA qualifications. Gretta Scholz has been on the edge of those same qualifying lists. The Mules had a lot to ski for.
The Women's team stepped up to the challenge, placing 3rd both days, landing Bianco on the third step of the podium, and confirming a full women's team to NCAA D1 Nationals (3 athletes) for the first time in program history. Bianco's 3rd and 4th place finishes on the weekend also confirmed her place amidst the region's best on the All-East Second Team.
The men had a great weekend as well, as seniors Will Solow, Foss Kerker, Torsten Brinkema, and Anders Hanson skied their last career carnival. Placing 4th in the Freestyle, the Men's team tied their top finish of the season (4th at Saint Michael's).
Top Results:
- Bianco 3rd (Women's Classic), 4th (Women's Freestyle)
- Clayton 7th (Women's Freestyle), 20th (Women's Classic)
- Sophia Gorman 15th (Women's Freestyle), 24th (Women's Classic)
- Jack Young 16th (Men's Freestyle)
- Gretta Scholz 16th (Women's Freestyle), 17th (Women's Classic)
- Cooper Anderson 19th (Men's Freestyle)
- Victor Sparks 25th (Men's Classic), 30th (Men's Freestyle)
- Anders Hanson 26th (Men's Classic), 29th (Men's Freestyle)
- Torsten Brinkema 28th (Men's Freestyle)
Clayton, Scholz, and Bianco will compete at the NCAA Division 1 Championships hosted by the University of Utah.
Track Keeps Rolling at D3 New England Championships
The Men's Track & Field team hit the road (Middlebury, Vt.) for the Division III New England Championships, while the Women's team had the pleasure of hosting its third meet of the year in Colby's Indoor Competition Center, the first of this scale.
The Women's team placed 9th out of the 35 schools in attendance, and had eight top-6 performances.
Top Results:
- 2. Sharde Johnson (High Jump)
- 3. Christina Speliakos (Triple Jump)
- 3. Isabel Llach (High Jump)
- 4. 4x400 Relay (Olivia Tomlin, Lottie Franck, Katie-Marie Roy, Charlotte Freniere)
- 5. Speliakos (60 Hurdles)
- 5. Sade Greenidge (60m)
- 6. Greenidge (200m)
- 6. Claire Beebe (Mile)
The Men's team performed well, placing 12th out of the 33 competing teams. Tyler Morris claimed the title of New England 5000m champion, and the 4x400 relay team took 3rd place (Tanner Burton, Ren Zanze, John Silberman, Raghav Kadambi).
Alpine Skiing Closes out EISA Season at UNH, Sends Two to NCAA Champs.
With several skiers on the bubble of qualifying for the NCAA D1 Championships, Colby took to the hills of Mittersill at Cannon Mountain for the final EISA Carnival of the season.
With an increased field size (the races were also counted as the NCAA Regional Championship), the Mules stepped up with several top results, highlighted by Patrick Coughlin (photo left) finishing 14th in Giant Slalom and 21st in Slalom. Meagan Olsen also posted two stellar days, finishing in 22nd in SL and 24th in GS. Ella Spear solidified her remarkable Giant Slalom season with another top result, this time good for 11th.
Top Results:
- Spear 11th (Women's GS)
- Coughlin 14th (Men's GS), 21st (Men's SL)
- Olsen 22nd (Women's SL), 24th (Women's GS)
- Molly Mueller 27th (Women's GS)
- Charlotte Maurer 28th (Women's SL)
- Chauncey Morgan 29th (Men's SL)
Women's Squash Wins D-Division at CSA Team Championships
Advancing through the first round of the CSA Team Championships by way of forfeit (Denison's travel got delayed due to Friday's snow storm), the Mules were chomping at the bit when they got to play Conn. Saturday. A rematch of a tight NESCAC Tournament match, Colby blew the doors off in an 8-1 win.
In the D-Division Championship match Sunday, the Mules were set to face the Hoyas of Georgetown University. The two teams met earlier this season, with the Hoyas cruising to a 7-2 victory. In the rematch, the Mules kept the pedal to the floor, upsetting the Hoyas by a score of 6-3.
Colby won four of its last five matches to close out the season.
With the Regional Diving Competitions Complete, the Field is Set for NCAA Championships
After the conference championships concluded last week, all that was left before declaring qualifications to the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships was the NCAA Diving Regionals this past weekend. Colby divers Sam Cahaly and Eleanor McGrath went to Smith College for the Northeast/North meet to compete in the 3m and 1m dives.
Cahaly finished 3rd in both events, and joined swimmers Ann Tolan, Addie Paige, and John Connors as NCAA qualifiers. This marks the first time since 2008 that Colby qualified four athletes to the championships, and the first time since Steve Feldman '01 qualified that Colby sent a diver.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Tom Bartol, Cole Burkhart '24, Steve Cheney P25, Nancy Dauphinais '25, Paula Dauphinais '25, Jamie Fiedorek '25, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Michael Garrett P23, Michael Maher, Anna Patten '23, Ellie Sawyer P25, Aicha Thiero '24, Ben Wheeler