With a strong start, Brewers look to maintain pace in winter

Vassar athletics took a hiatus from competition with no games being played between Nov. 21 and Nov. 30. The break provided teams the opportunity to assess the beginning of their seasons and monitor their progress.

In their self-reflection, the women's basketball team must have liked what it saw. The Brewers won their first three games all by double-digit margins. After disposing of College of Mt. St. Vincent 74-54 in their first game, the Brewers opened their home campaign with the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament. Captain Cydni Matsuoka '14 led the way in the tournament opener with 23 points, six assists and zero turnovers, as the Brewers defeated Cedar Crest College 87-40. Colleen O'Connell '15 and Kristyn Tempora '12 each contributed a double-double in the win. With Wellesley College overtaking Wilson College in the other opening round game, the Brewers and Blues squared off in the Championship.

In the finals, it was Captain Brittany Parks '12 taking charge, with 19 points and six assists, leading the Brewers to a 74-61 championship win. O'Connell once again notched a double-double, the second in her young career. Matsuoka was named tournament MVP while Parks was named to the All-Tip-Off Team.

Although the men's team did not host a tournament of their own, they did face off against a number of local teams. The Brewers eked out a three-point win in their season opener against St. Joseph College in New York, but dropped back down to .500 with a 78-56 loss to Mt. St. Mary College. The Brewers rebounded in their final contest prior to break, dominating the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) 104-34. 14 of 15 Brewers scored in that contest as Vassar held a 52-14 lead at the half. The Brewers first pulled away with a 13-0 run just 5:08 into the contest, beginning when the score was tied at six. After the CIA cut the margin to 10 with a three-point play with 10:17 remaining in the first half, an 11-0 Vassar run jumped the Brewers' lead to 21. Luka Laden '15 led all scorers with 16 points on perfect 5-5 shooting and 6-6 from the free throw line.

While the winter season is still in its early stages, the men's squash team traveled to St. Lawrence University for the Liberty League Championships. The Brewers went 1-1 on the first day, dropping their initial match 9-0 to defending champion University of Rochester, but rebounded with an 8-0 victory over Bard College. On the second day, Vassar was overcome by Hobart College 8-1, with this week's Miscellany News Athlete of the Week Michael Sankovich '15 earning the lone victory. Sankovich, the top-seeded Vassar player, dropped the first two sets 7-11, 7-11, but roared back, capturing three straight sets for a 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 victory. The Brewers lost 9-0 to St. Lawrence in their final contest, finishing fourth in the event.

Men's and women's swimming and diving each hosted cross-river rival State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz prior to the break. The men's team was overcome 156-137, while the women's team was denied in the final race of the meet, losing a tough 153-146 contest.

With their final home meet already at hand, the men's and women's fencing teams honored their seniors at the Matt Lampell Hudson Valley Fencing Invitational. The women's team swept a field composed of City College of New York, Queens College, Marist College, Yeshiva College, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Bard College. The men's team also had a perfect day, overcoming RPI, SUNY Albany, Marist, Cornell University and SUNY New Paltz. For the women's team, Brooke Schieffer '12 went 17-0 in the sabre, while Veronica Weser '12 (15-1 epee) and Katie LeClair '13 (7-1 foil) also had strong days. The men's team had a number of standouts as well. Alex Bue '14 (15-0 foil), Nick Johnson '12 (9-0 epee), Brian Rouse '12 (9-0 epee) and John Arden '14 (3-0 sabre) all went undefeated. Matt Steinschneider '14 also turned in a good effort going 11-1 in the sabre.

There was still one holdover from the fall season, however, as cross country runner Kelly Holmes '13 traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for the NCAA Division III Championship. In the 6k race, Holmes finished 227th in a time of 23:22. The race marked the second time Holmes qualified for a National Championship competition. This past spring, she was invited to compete in the 800-meter race at the NCAA Track and Field Championships but was unable to run due to departing for a semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.