Men's Soccer Falls in NESCAC Semifinals with Seconds Remaining
With a gritty determination resembling the 2018 NESCAC Championship squad, the Men's Soccer team took their 7th place seeding in the NESCAC Tournament and nearly shocked the conference. Facing the top-ranked Camels of Conn. College in the semifinals, a Conn. goal with less than one minute remaining sent the Camels to the Championship game and ended the Mules' run.
Sophomore Noah Jackson (photo left) held opponents scoreless in the previous 209 minutes, but a Camel goal from the top of the 18 with 41 seconds remaining in regulation ended the keeper's streak.
Colby ends its season with a 7-8-2 record, tallying four shutouts along the way. Junior Josh Rubin ended the regular season as the top goal scorer in the NESCAC with nine, and also led the league with 20 points. Sophomore Ethan Franco (photo below) was just behind with eight goals, good for third in the conference in goals/game.
With only two senior players departing due to graduation this coming spring, the Mules look to reload for another assault on the NESCAC standings in 2022.
Mules Battle Back in Tight Game with Jumbos
Trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, Colby was able to score three consecutive touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead over Tufts halfway through the fourth quarter. The host Jumbos responded with two more scores of their own and clung to a 26-21 victory as time expired.
Senior running back Devin Marrocco (photo below) tallied over 100 yards from scrimmage for the first time this season, scampering 56 yards for Colby's third touchdown of the afternoon. He now ranks 14th in the NESCAC in rushing.
Senior quarterback Matt Hersch (photo below) continued his stellar year, notching his fourth 200+ yard game of the season. He also collected his fifth passing touchdown of the fall when he hit fellow senior Matt Panker in the second quarter for the Mules' first score of the afternoon. Hersch ranks 4th in the NESCAC in passing yards and 5th in completion percentage.
Sophomore Nick Donatio (photo left) scored his first double-digit tackle game of the season, ending with 10. He also collected a tackle for loss and a pass breakup from his safety position and ranks 6th in the NESCAC in total tackles.
Colby's record is currently 3-5 with one game remaining. The Mules host the Polar Bears of Bowdoin College on Saturday at 5:00pm for the first-ever night game on Seaverns Field. With a victory, the Mules can clinch the CBB title outright for the third consecutive time. A fourth victory would mark the highest tally in a season since finishing 4-4 in 2013.
Morris Named NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer
Junior Tyler Morris continued his pacemaking season by winning the NESCAC Cross Country Championship Meet hosted by Trinity College at Wickham Park last weekend. He outpaced the field by almost 30 seconds and helped the Mules to a 3rd place team finish.
The win identified Morris as the league's Most Outstanding Performer, a title given to the winner of the yearly meet. The individual victory also extends Colby's streak of conference champions, as Sophia Gorman won the meet in 2019 and 2018. The Mules now have a streak of three straight championships with an individual winner.
First-Year Michels Earns ALL-NESCAC
Lindsay Michels has been leading the Women's Cross Country team all season, and saved her top performance to date for the NESCAC Meet. After finishing third at the Maine State Meet as well as the Suffolk Invitational, Michels stayed within striking distance of the top runners in the conference by placing 10th at Wickham Park, just 31 seconds away from fifth place. She was the third fastest first-year finisher across the league.
Colby is back in action on Saturday November 13 when the Mules head to Franklin Park, Mass. for the NCAA Regional Championship.
Dexter Inducted Into Maine Baseball Hall of Fame
Long time Colby coach Tom Dexter was honored by the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday with his induction with the class of 2021. The ceremony took place Sunday at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. The induction class of 11 members includes Ryan Flaherty of Deering (eight major league seasons for the Orioles, Braves, and Indians) and Mark Rodgers of Mt. Ararat (2004 first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers).
With the induction, the company Dexter now keeps with others connected to Colby is incredibly impressive. John Winkin coached at Colby for 20 years from 1954-73, winning over 300 games, earning the National Coach of the Year award in 1965, and propelling two Colby graduates to Major League Baseball. "Colby Jack" Coombs graduated from Colby in 1906 and enjoyed a successful career winning over 150 games as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. His 31 wins in 1910 and 28 wins in 1911 led the American League. The baseball field on Mayflower Hill is named "Coombs Field" in honor of "Colby Jack."
Weston to Receive EATA Excellence in Leadership Award
The Eastern Athletic Trainer's Association (EATA) recently revealed that the winner of the 2022 EATA Excellence in Leadership Award will be none other than Colby's Tim Weston. With the yearly award on brief hiatus in 2021 due to COVID-19, Weston will be the first awarded since 2020, and the first winner associated with Colby College in the history of the award. The award was created in 1966.
Coming to Mayflower Hill as an Assistant Athletic Trainer in 1992, Weston was named to his current position of Head Athletic Trainer in 2008. At Colby Athletics' Senior Sports Awards in May of 2021, Weston was awarded the department's Impact Award. This award is given to a member of the Colby community for their support of Colby Athletics. In a year where students' health and safety were challenged more than ever before, Weston tirelessly led the charge for the department and its 700+ student-athletes to navigate COVID-19 and eventually return to game action safely. He has served in numerous positions for the Maine Athletic Trainers Association (MATA), EATA, as well as the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Cole Burkhart '24, Steve Cheney P25, Nancy Dauphinais '25, Paula Dauphinais '25, Michael Garrett P23, Anna Patten '23, Ellie Sawyer P25, Aicha Thiero '24