Fall sports are coming to a close and many of Clark’s varsity teams ended their competitive season this past week. Unfortunately, the Cougars did not score highly this year. With the exception of Volleyball, who are scheduled to compete throughout next week, Clark struggled to perform and thus ranked in the bottom half in all of the fall sports.
Men’s soccer (5-9-4, 0-7-1 NEWMAC) ranks last out of the nine teams in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). In their final match of the season, the Cougars were unable to secure a win, falling 3-1 to Emerson College (7-9-2, 3-4-1 NEWMAC). Emerson landed in sixth place out of the nine teams. The men’s soccer team will not be competing in the NEWMAC Championship this year.
Women’s soccer (5-11-2, 2-7-2 NEWMAC) ended their season in tenth place out of the twelve teams in the NEWMAC. Despite their rough season, the women’s team were able to secure a 1-0 win as they closed the regular season against Babson (7-6-5, 5-3-3 NEWMAC). Babson College, ranked fourth, was unable to score against the Cougars. The team capitalized on a game-winning goal from Isabella Ramirez, giving the Cougar’s a delightful shutout on Senior Night. The women’s soccer team will also not be seen competing in the NEWMAC Championship this year.
Field hockey (3-6) ranks eight out of the ten teams in the NEWMAC. The team closed their season with a 2-1 loss against Springfield College (8-10, 4-5 NEWMAC), who ranks sixth in the NEWMAC. The team rallied in the third quarter. A goal shot by Ciaran Cubbage assisted by Rachael Romain brought the deficit to one, but the team was unable to keep up momentum in the final quarter of the game. The field hockey team did not earn a spot in the NEWMAC Championship this year.
The cross country teams (men’s and women’s) will continue their seasons at NCAA Regionals at Hopkinton Fairgrounds on November 16. The men’s team finished seventh overall, and the women’s team eighth overall during the NEWMAC Championships at the Nehoiden Golf Club. The men’s team (222) scored higher than Emerson (246) and Salve Regina University (260) placing them in seventh out of nine teams. The women’s team (208) scored higher than Salve Regina (237), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (258), Emerson (265) and Salve Regina (260) placing them in eighth out of twelve teams.
The volleyball team (13-10, 6-4 NEWMAC) has not yet finished their season, and currently rank sixth out of the twelve teams in the NEWMAC. Most recently the team competed against Mount Holyoke, overcoming the Lyons in all three sets played on November 5. During this game, Victoria Pastor became one of five players in the history of Clark volleyball to successfully complete 1,000 kills. The volleyball team will finish regular season play Saturday afternoon in the Kneller versus Brandeis University. Overall, the team has been rather successful this season, and will be seen competing in the NEWMAC tournament beginning November 12.
Kicking Off The Winter Season
The Cougars hope to see happier outcomes as they begin the Winter athletic season.
Clark’s Swim and Dive teams began their season this past Saturday at a meet against Babson. Unfortunately, the women’s swimming and dive team failed to outperform the Beavers, falling 206-72. The men’s swim and dive teams met a similar ending, falling 231-44. The teams will compete again on November 9 during the Worcester City Championships at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and November 23 against Bridgewater State University at the Kneller Athletic Center Pool.
Men’s basketball is expected to have a successful season this year, being selected second in the NEWMAC men’s basketball poll. Last year, the team finished second and competed for the NEWMAC Championship. Hopefully, we will see the team compete in the Championship again this season. The team is set to kick off their season in the Kneller Athletic Center on Saturday, November 9 at 1 p.m.
Women’s basketball was last seen competing in the NEWMAC Quarter Finals last season. Hopefully, the team will be seen competing in the tournament this year. Women’s basketball is set to kick off their season in Paxton, MA on November 8 against Anna Maria College at 6 pm.
While fall sports teams fell short this year, there is hope that the Cougars will perform in the Winter. It will be exciting to see if the teams meet expectations. Both basketball teams set high standards during the 2023-24 season. For now, make sure to support the varsity athletic teams as the fall season ends and winter begins! Roll Cougs!
