Men’s Lacrosse

Arguably the most improved team at Colgate University, the men’s lacrosse team has gone through a dramatic change over the past few years. Just last season the Raiders progressed in the standings from 35th in the Division I LaxPower Power Rankings to 12th by the end of the year. Ending the season with a record of 11 wins and five losses, the Colgate Raiders have much success to reflect back on. Lead by Head Coach Jim Nagle, the Raiders scored 171 goals on the season.

Although Patriot League defensive player of the year Colin Hulme was drafted by Major League Lacrosse’s San Francisco Dragons 16th overall, the Raiders are returning much talent to the field.Seniors Matt Lalli and E.J. Atamian as well as junior midfielder Brandon Corp among others will be counted on to lead the charge towards a Patriot League title.

“We have a lot of firepower coming back on offense,” co-captain Lalli said. “We lost some important defensemen, so we might have to overcompensate for it on the defensive end.”

Women’s Lacrosse

After falling short of its expectations last season, Colgate is reloaded with talent and is primed to make a run at the Patriot League (PL) Championship. In the last two years, they have met a familiar foe, Holy Cross, in the PL Tournament and lost by identical scores, 9-6. They look to change that this year behind a strong incoming class led by first-year All-American midfielder Colleen Bubnack.

Scoring, however, was the least of the Raiders concerns last year. The team had three of the top fifteen scorers in the PL, namely junior Ashley Didio, seniors Jessica Van der Muelen and Lindsay Pittard. In year two of the Heather Bliss era, Colgate will have to place more emphasis on defense in order to earn more victories. In goal for the Raiders will be junior Sara Drexler, who posted an 11.79 goals against average last year, placing fourth in the league. As a team, the Raiders only held their opponents to single-digit goals in four out of their eighteen games. For the team to return to PL Championship, it will have to become an attacking and stout defense.

Also plaguing the team last year was its inability to win away from Tyler’s Field. As a top contender, Colgate did have a challenging schedule, playing three of the top fifteen squads in the nation. However, for Colgate to become a serious title contender, it will have to step up its game on the road, especially within league play.

Unlike last year’s squad which only had six upperclassmen, this year’s team has a dearth of experience on their side. Look for that to be a factor as Bliss will have a core group of players she can rely upon. This year’s women’s lacrosse season will begin in February 2008.

Softball

Although the softball team laments losing senior starting pitcher Kelsey Nordstrom to the German Professional Woman’s Baseball League, there is still plenty of talent to take to the Eaton Street Field. Seniors LaPorscha Albert and Whitney Scott will lead a team of seasoned veterans who hope to build on the great success of their 2007 season.

The Raiders softball team finished last season with a 25-24 record overall and placed second in the Patriot League with a 12-5 mark. The team made the NCAA tournament and advanced past Layette and Lehigh to get to regional final. There, the Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Raiders in a thriller, breaking a 2-2 tie late in the game with a three-run home run.

After last season’s heartbreaking loss, the team enters the 2008 season with a chip on their shoulders. Look for them to go deeper into the playoffs this season and compete for the NCAA championship.

Crew

After a record-setting season last year, the men’s and women’s rowing teams have a lot to look forward to this season. Both squads will seek to continue their winning ways, particularly in the Knecht and Seneca Cups as well as the Patriot League Challenge and Henley Royal Regatta. Each team will agree that most of their success is attributable to the leadership provided by their respective coaches, for the men, Head Coach Khaled Sanad and for the women, Head Coach Greg Krucyznski.

In specific races last season such as Knecht Cup, the women’s team placed fifth while the men placed second. In the Seneca Cup, Sanad guided the men’s squad to a ground-breaking victory over Hobart and William Smith College. The victory marked the first time that Colgate defeated Hobart on their home territory. The success of last season did not end with the Seneca Cup however, as the team placed first in two races at the Patriot League Challenge and reached the semifinals at the Henley Royal Regatta in England.

“Last season was really great,” junior Willie Fox said. “We accomplished a lot of our goals. We weren’t sure how we’d do at Henley, but surprised ourselves. We upset a couple European teams, and even got in the newspapers.”

When asked about the upcoming year Fox added, “We trained all the way into July and worked hard to be in shape for the season. We should start from where we left off.”

It will be exciting to see what the Raiders can do this year.

Swimming and Diving

Although both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams excelled last year, neither is content with last year’s successes. In particular, the men placed in the top five at the Patriot League Championships while the women finished in third. The teams certainly believe they are talented enough to place even higher.

“Finishing third was a disappointment. We swam well but we just got outperformed,” Head Coach Stephen Jungbluth said. “Our goal this year is to win the Patriot League Championship. Everything else is a secondary goal.”

The women’s team will look towards senior captains Magdalena Mango, Kacy Reams and Colby Seamans to lead them this season. The men, on the other hand, will have to overcome the graduations of last season’s best swimmers, particularly Greg Dunlavey, who quickly proved to be the best backstroker in Colgate history. Still, the team does not intend on falling back in the Patriot League. Both teams also welcome new Assistant Coach Kathryn Sweeney this season, who comes to Colgate from New York University where she coached for two years.

Golf

Although golf is considered to be a sport for the selected few who can afford it, it is actually quite popular with and available among Colgate students. The Raiders finished fifth in the Patriot League Championships last year and were also ranked by Golf Digest in its College Golf Guide in the academics first category for the second consecutive year. Moreover, seven of the players were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. Senior Ricky Hayes actually took fifth place in the PL Championship with a score of 226.

Next season, however, brings a great challenge to all Colgate golfers. Head Coach Marian Blain has resigned her duties so that she can focus on her professional career at Seven Oaks Golf Course. She joined the team in 2005 and helped the team flourish and progress to a very high academic level. The hiring of an erudite coach and the good play of Hayes on the pitch will surely define the team’s goals and eventual performance.

The new season kicks off with the Colgate Invitational beginning on September 8th.