With school soon to be in full swing, the Yellowjackets’ fall sports teams are gearing up. The fall sports include football, soccer, field hockey, cross country, and volleyball.
Football is hoping to improve as second-year coach Chad Martinovich continues to build a culture and program at the University. Having previously coached at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Martinovich went from a 10–1 record to a 1–9 record in his first year with the ‘Jackets. When asked about the upcoming season, Martinovich believes “we will have more depth and talent than we did last year… [and] a lot of competition for playing time at each position, which will make us better as a team.” The ‘Jackets open the season on Friday, Sept. 7 against Case Western Reserve University at Fauver Stadium. Martinovich believes “it will be exciting to see our young team’s growth over the course of this season” and that this home opener is a great place to start, getting revenge for last year’s 38–10 loss.
While football had learning curves last season, the Women’s Field Hockey team was one of last year’s best in the nation. The ‘Jackets ended the 2018 regular season 19–1 losing only to Vassar College, who ultimately defeated them for the conference title in the Liberty League tournament. The team continued to the NCAA Tournament but were ousted in the Elite 8 by Rowan University. Senior Maya Haigis said the team can improve on their success last season and has “the potential to go far this year in both the Liberty League tournament and the NCAA tournament.” As a senior, this upcoming season is extra special for Haigis as she describes the team as a “family” to her. “I can’t picture what my college experience would’ve been without field hockey, and especially without the amazing women I get to call my teammates and best friends,” Haigis said. The ‘Jackets open the season away at York College on Aug. 30 but opens at home on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Houghton College.
Another successful team last season was Men’s Soccer. The ‘Jackets capped a 16-win season with a deep run into the NCAA tournament. They were knocked out in the Final Four by eventual winners Tufts University. Meanwhile, the Women’s Soccer team also had a winning season with an overall record of 9–8–1. The season had its ups and downs for the ‘Jackets but saw defender Shayna Levy ‘19 make 2nd-team All-East Region and sophomore goalkeeper Emma Schecheter and forward Carolyn Richards on 3rd-team All-East. The team made it to the NCAA tournament but were handed an early first-round exit by Ithaca College. The men’s and women’s home openers are against Keuka College with the respective games on Sept. 1 and 4.
To round out fall sports, Women’s Volleyball will look to improve last season’s conference record of 1–6. Despite an overall record of 23–12, the ‘Jackets struggled in conference. The University holds an annual invitational where the team will have their home opener against Medaille College on Sept. 6. Similar to volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country will also have their home openers in the University invitational. Both teams will compete on Sept. 14 in the Genesee Valley Park.
