Husson Fall Sports Round Up
As the game clock winds down and the last whistle sounds, it is time to look back at the fall sports season for Husson University Eagles.
Fall sports fans pack the stands to cheer on the Husson Eagles.
The Eagles football team came into the season with high expectations after they finished last season with a seven and three record and hosted the NCAC Northeast Bowl. The Eagles started the season by winning two of their first three games and were undefeated in the conference, but the rest of the season would not be kind to the Eagles. The Eagles were only able to win two of their last six games, and finished with a subpar record of (4-5) while missing the playoffs.
Men’s soccer entered the season looking to build on the last years successful run to the NAC Semi-Finals. The Eagles regular season was a tale of two halves. The first started off rocky and the team was trying to keep its head above water, then the Eagles were able to flip the switch in time to earn a spot in the NAC playoffs. The Eagles have made the best of it and were able to win this seasons NAC title. The victory gave the Eagles a spot in the NCAA tournament and they will face Williams College.
Senior Captain Justin Gauvin says, “Although we started off slow winning only two of our first seven games, we’ve really matured as a team, having fifteen first year players who have really stepped up knowing they’re individual roles to get the job done. It’s always nice going in as the number one seed but at that point you’re a target to all the other teams in the conference. So, going into the week of practice we had to keep our composure. We approached the semifinal round versus Maine Maritime Academy wanting to stick to our game plan. There will always be a certain amount of nerves going into a sudden death type of setting. We are going to prepare more than we have ever prepared before, having lost the last two conference championships to the same team. There’s now more of a rivalry between Castleton State and Husson than ever before and it’s always a entertaining game. I would consider this a successful season win or lose, having the opportunity to play with my teammates, to have battled with my teammates and have left it all on the field!”
Women’s soccer headed into the season with high expectations after their recent run of three straight NAC titles and NCAA tournament berths. The question entering the season was could they do it again. The Eagles jumped out off the gate, with a roaring start winning four of their first five games and established themselves as contenders. They would not take their foot off the pedal finishing the regular season strong with a record of (13-5). The Eagles proved to be a tough team especially at home; they finished with a (9-0) home record and dominated their conference with a (6-1) record. The Eagles strong play earned them a spot in the playoffs. They beat Castleton three to one to take their fourth straight NAC title. The victory earned the Eagles a berth in the NCAA tournament and will face Middlebury College in the first round.
Junior captain Caitlin Butterfield summed up the season by stating ,”I’d say we had a good season. We won a lot more big games than we have before. Saturdays win over Castleton was a good win, we definitely played well. This week we need to work on keeping our speed of play up because we don’t want to settle into someone else’s game plan because we have speed and quickness to our advantage. Win or lose this weekend, this season was a successful one where we found we can compete with any team in New England and we are considered one of the best. All four of the seniors have stepped up for sure and they don’t want the season to end, so this is their last time playing and we need to win as many games as we can.”
The women of field hockey entered the season looking to continue their dominate conference play and earn their sixth straight NAC playoff berth. The Eagles started slow in the first half of the season with only two wins and seven loses. The record was deceiving because in three of the Eagles first five losses, they lost by one goal. The Eagles hard work and effort paid off in the form of wins in the second half especially in the conference (2-1), and with the late push, the Eagles were able to clinch a NAC playoff berth. The Eagles beat the University of Maine Farmington (2-0) to win the NAC title and earned an invitation to the NCAA tournament. The field hockey team made an appearance in the NCAA tournament on Wednesday, November 11th, and fell to the number one seed Amherst, 3-0. Senior captain, Jenika Kelley says the Eagles 3-0 loss was, “a battle, we definitely could have beat them. It was a hard fought game.”
When asked to talk more about their season, she spoke highly of her teammates and their winning season. “I love my team. We are very young but I am happy we have that make up. It will help form a great team down the road, and now we are heading to playoffs! We are really coming together when it counts and I can see the changes that we have made really making a difference. I feel good heading down the playoff road with this team. We get along really well, we have an amazing coach who knows what she is doing and knows the game AND we are on a winning streak right now. Our young talent is starting to step it up and really shine. So I wouldn’t want to head into playoffs with any other team!”
The Husson women’s volleyball team wrapped up its season with a tough 4-1 loss against the Colby College Mules. This loss finished their season up with a 13-14 record, second in the North Atlantic Conference. Although they lost their last game, the Eagles made it to the NAC Championship and fell to the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy, 3-0. The Eagles finished with six conference wins in the NAC. According to the Husson University website the volleyball team finished their season with a total of 1948 points, to with their opponents 1902 points. They averaged 8.7 kills per game, which trumps their opponents mere 4.7 average. A particular high note of the season was the fact that they also ended their regular season with a whopping 246 aces!
The Husson Eagles Men’s Soccer team had a slow start but ended strong.
When asked about the season, sophomore Kaitlyn McKay responded, “Our team got along really well from the very beginning. Our season started off slow and a lot of good players didn’t connect very well. However, towards the end of season we seemed to gel to make it to the championship game. In the end we lost but it was a great season. Next year we have a great group of returners and we are looking forward to our season because we have already played together!”
It has been a great fall semester to be a Husson sports fan and with most of the teams making it to their respective playoffs, it does not look like it will end any time soon.
article by Sean Metcalfe and Amanda Gifford
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