Suffolk University sports teams are kicking off the new year with mixed results. Some teams are in the midst of strong surges, while others are struggling to find their footing.
Men’s soccer finding form in championship defense
Men’s soccer started their Conference of New England championship defense with a 2-1 loss to Brandeis University Aug. 31 after their Aug. 29 match against Dean College was suspended in the first half due to lightning, with the Rams holding a 3-2 lead at the time.
After the loss to Brandeis, Suffolk tangled with no. 1 ranked, reigning national champion Amherst College Mammoths at East Boston Memorial Park, playing to a scoreless tie, thanks in large part to a three save shutout by sophomore goalkeeper Ian Caldwell.
The Rams then hit the road against Husson University, beating the Eagles for the first time in program history with a 2-1 win. They then tied Emmanuel College 2-2 before beating the University of Hartford 2-0 in their first CNE game of the year.
In a non-conference tilt with Massachusetts Maritime Sept. 16, the Rams got an early goal from Diego Pierantozzi and never looked back, rolling to a 3-0 win over the Buccaneers. Mohamed Mehaya scored a goal in the second half and assisted on freshman Dylan Cadavid’s first NCAA goal.
Women’s soccer unbeaten to start season
Women’s soccer has been on a strong run of form to begin the season after failing to make the CNE playoffs last season. They put together back-to-back 1-0 road wins over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and UMass Dartmouth before playing cross-common foe Emerson College to a 0-0 tie.
The Rams then took down Rivier University 5-0 in their home opener at East Boston Memorial Park before beating Hartford 1-0 on the road in their first CNE game of the season.
Goalkeepers Jaiden Wilds and Arden Rose have handled the net for the Rams to start the season, with neither allowing a single goal through the first five games of the season. Both are making their NCAA debuts this season as well, making the feat even more impressive.
Volleyball hitting early season road bumps
Volleyball has stumbled to start the season, beginning with four straight losses, falling to Ursinus College, UMass Dartmouth, Connecticut College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
They bounced back with a commanding 3-0 win over Massachusetts Maritime at home and a 3-1 road win at the hands of Salem State University before back-to-back 3-0 losses to Maine Maritime and Bridgewater State University at a home tri-match Sept. 13.
Suffolk bounced back in a clash of the Rams against Framingham State University on the road. Suffolk got the momentum and rode it to a 25-22 first set win before Framingham State won the next two sets by 26-24 and 25-23 scores. Suffolk cruised its way to a 25-18 win in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set, which they won 16-14 to secure win number three of the season.
Cross country dashes into new season
Men’s and women’s cross country began their seasons Aug. 30 at the Suffolk Short Course Classic. Over a dozen personal records were set between both teams as the women’s team ran its way to a top five finish, securing fourth place out of 17 teams. The men’s squad landed in 10th place out of 14 teams on the course.
Women’s golf enjoys stellar start to fall slate
Women’s golf began their first season in the CNE at the Hartford Invitational Sept. 6 and 7. They swung their way to a second place finish out of eight teams in the field. With Bentley College claiming the win, Suffolk was the best Division III team on the course as they had a team score of 336.
The Rams kept the momentum going at the Westfield State Invitational Sept. 14, shooting a combined 321 to finish 35 strokes ahead of Nichols College, who finished in second place. Krisna Mahendran won the event with a +3 score on the day, shooting a 74. Brooke Bugajewski, Emory Goodson and Lauren Phelan also scored in the top five individually.
Men’s golf competes at pair of invitationals
Men’s golf began its second year under head coach Joshua Brickley at the St. Lawrence Invitational. With Ryan Mollica leading the way thanks to a two-day score of 152, the Rams landed right in the middle with a sixth place finish among the 13 teams competing.
The Rams got back in action Sept. 13 and 14 at the Duke Nelson Invitational, landing in 19th place out of 20 teams on the course. Trey Connolly led the way for the Rams by shooting a 76, good for a +5 showing. Jonathan Donovan and Ryan Mollica joined Connolly in the top 100 individually.
Women’s tennis searching for first win
Women’s tennis has gotten off to a rough start in the second year of Zack Goodstein’s tenure as head coach. They have been outscored by opponents 27-1 on the scoresheet thanks to 7-0 losses to both UMass Boston, Rhode Island College and Endicott College, with a 6-1 setback to Simmons University Sept. 10.
