Fall Sports Begin CAC Tournament Title Hunts

By CHRIS MARKHAM and MIKEY BARNES

Tied at 1-1, the University of Mary Washington men’s soccer team headed into overtime in the Capital Athletic Conference semifinal game against York College. Just 2:12 in to the overtime period, the University of Mary Washington was sent to the championship game. UMW earned a corner kick off a ball out of bounds by the opponent, which they capitalized on. The corner kick came from junior Mitchell Williams and it snuck just off the fingertips of the opposing goalie, into sophomore Jack Saslowsky, in which he knocked it in for the game-winning goal. Sophomore Ryan Van Maanen scored the fist goal for the Eagles 12:34 into the game off an assist from senior Riley Fisher, to give the Eagles the lead. York tied it up two minutes later. The game went scoreless for the next 77 minutes, before Saslowsky’s game winner. The Eagles will travel to Christopher Newport University on Saturday for the championship game. If the Eagles are to win the championship game against Christopher Newport, it will be a CAC record, ninth conference championship for men’s soccer. The Eagles lost 2-1 in overtime in their first match-up against CNU on the year and are looking for a different outcome this time around.

Women’s soccer also came into their CAC semifinal match-up with high aspirations. With a record of 11-5-2 going into their game against Christopher Newport, the Eagles looked to avenge their loss in the CAC Championship game from last year when they lost to York in overtime. The Eagles got that revenge in their first round game against the Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 29, but UMW was booted from the tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 2 in their semifinal game against the Captains, likely ending the Eagles’ season. UMW beat the Spartans 2-0 in their first round home game, with goals from Lizzie Brooks and Katie Rauch, but were blanked on Wednesday against CNU, losing by a score of 2-0.

UMW volleyball clinched the CAC regular season title on Saturday, Oct. 29  with a win against Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, but the No. 15 ranked Eagles have their eyes set on a tournament title. The Eagles have the top seed in the tournament and host Marymount University of Thursday, No. 3 in the Ron Rosner Arena. Marymount handed the Eagles their lone CAC loss of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 26 in a four-set loss. If the Eagles win, UMW will host the winner CNU vs. Salisbury on Saturday at 2 p.m., also in the Ron Rosner Arena. On Monday, the Eagles will learn if they host the first rounds of the NCAA tournament during the airing of the NCAA DIII Volleyball Selection Show.

UMW’s field hockey team overcame the CNU Captains on Wednesday, Nov. 2 with a 3-2 overtime victory in the semifinal round of the CAC tournament. Junior Morgan LaRowe opened the scoring with the lone first half goal of the game. Fellow junior Erin Kaila joined her on the scoreboard with an early second half goal, putting the Eagles up 2-0. CNU scored two late goals to send the game into overtime, where LaRowe scored the game-winner with less than five minutes left in extra time. The Eagles now have a record of 12-5 and will face Salisbury on the road on Saturday,  Nov. 5 in the CAC title game.