JWU Athletics Weekly Roundup: Nov. 1–7

The first week of November has been filled with multiple GNAC championship games, with all JWU teams in the hunt for the title moving onto the final round in their respective disciplines. Meanwhile, the Men and Women’s Ice Hockey teams kickstarted their seasons to middling success over the first games. 

Saturday, November 2:

After two days of match-ups at Ithaca’s Men’s Wrestling Invitational, JWU placed second out of eleven schools competing, with surprise performances from new and incoming freshmen Payton Ellis and Cameron Soda, who both went on to win their respective weight classes. Fortunately for the JWU wrestling team, they’ll have another shot at taking the top spot from Castleton on November 8 and 9.

The JWU Equestrian IHSA attended a competition at Sandy Point Farms, scoring 33 points, placing first across four classes, and becoming Champion Team against URI, Salve Regina, and Roger Williams.

Norwich University hosted the 2024 GNAC Championship for Women’s Cross Country, where the JWU team placed as high as third across the field of 82 runners in the six-kilometer race. After results were tallied, JWU scored 93 points, placing them third overall behind Colby-Sawyer and Emmanuel.

JWU’s Women’s Volleyball team had a doubleheader against Saint Joseph and Simmons, winning both games 3–0. Their two wins make it six-in-a-row for the team going into the final two games in the regular season, where they hope to extend their streak before moving into the GNAC Championship Tournament on November 12.

In their first-round GNAC Tournament match-up, the JWU Women’s Field Hockey team defeated Dean 3–0, with graduate student Megan Salsinha scoring all three of the team’s goals. Thus, the Field Hockey team moved on to the semifinals against St. Joseph’s on November 6.

After a hard-fought match against Anna Maria, the JWU Men’s Soccer team defeated their competitors 3–2 after a last-second goal by Anna Maria to tie the game in the closing seconds, sending the game into overtime. JWU’s win handed them a spot in the GNAC Men’s Soccer Semifinal against Albertus Magnus on November 6.

In Women’s Soccer, No. 1 seed JWU successfully beat Regis 2–0 in the GNAC Quarterfinals, advancing to the Semifinals against No. 4 seed Lasell on November 5.

In its season-opener for Men’s Ice Hockey, JWU lost to Albertus Magnus 4–0. The team was unable to convert any of its four power plays across three periods of game time. The team hopes to go out on a higher note in its second game on November 8 against Nichols.

For Women’s Ice Hockey, JWU lost their season-opener against Salve Regina 2–1, unable to tie the game in the closing periods. Fortunately, their first game was non-competitive, making it a good warm-up moving into their first conference match on November 8.

Sunday, November 3:

UConn hosted an equestrian dressage competition, with the JWU Equestrian IDA team being among its lineup of competitors. After a day full of performances across multiple levels, JWU came out on top.

Tuesday, November 5:

The JWU Women’s Soccer won the GNAC semifinal match against Lasell, outscoring them 2–0. This gives JWU, the No. 1 seed in the conference, with an opportunity to claim the title against Emmanuel. On November 9, JWU vs Emmanuel at home for JWU, the rematch from the championship last season. 

Wednesday, November 6:

With their 2–1 win over St. Joseph’s, JWU’s Women’s Field Hockey moves into the GNAC Championship match on November 9 against Simmons, which will take place on JWU soil.

Likewise, JWU’s Men’s Soccer team defeated Albertus Magnus 3–2 after another close match. The match went into two overtime sessions before JWU clinched the victory with a corner kick goal. This gives JWU a spot in the Championship game for the third year in a row, this time battling Saint Joseph (CT) for the title on November 9 in West Hartford, Conn.