10/25/2026
COLLEGE SPORTS WRAP
By John Addyman
[email protected]
for Oct 25 26
This is a week made for great college memories…walking to class with a light jacket on because the mornings are crisp, enjoying the crush of falling leaves on the footpaths and sidewalks on the way to class, sensing important games in fall sports as seasons close and athletes compete alongside each other as teammates for the last time, and championship runs are fine-tuned.
Cross-country runners look forward to the upcoming conference titles and NCAA competitions, football players hope to keep the injuries to a minimum while raising their level of play, and soccer players can feel the surge to the playoffs. Volleyball players wonder how much success they’ll have as championships lay ahead. Golfers put away their clubs for the fall.
So, we tell some tales this week about Vivian Bishop, who did something significant for herself and her team…about Lillian Boesel and her team-leading efforts…about swimmers Elizabeth Share, AJ Merced and Hayden Smith…and Lydia Hickey on the links.
And so much more.
We’re so close to indoor track, wrestling and basketball seasons. If you know of a Wayne County athlete we should be covering, please send me a note so we can initiate our coverage.
SOCCER
Saturday had to be a big day for Maine/Farmington freshman soccer forward Vivian Bishop (North Rose-Wolcott). She and her Beaver teammates had played 15 games so far this season and hadn’t won any of them. Vivian had been in every game, starting nine of them.
Then Saturday, and the second-to-last game on the schedule, against Vermont/Lyndon, a team with a similar record – 10 games without a win.
Farmington scored first, Halle Clifford getting her fourth score of the season. Emma Dunn scored – her first goal of the fall – and when Clifford scored again, and again, the Beavers had a 4-0 lead at the 60th minute. Was something special reserved for this day?
It sure was. In the 63rd minute, Vivian broke through for an unassisted score – her very first goal of the season and of her collegiate career. The game ended 5-1.
Maine/Farmington (1-13-2; 1-5 North Atlantic Conference) wraps up the regular season on Wednesday against Maine/Presque Isle.
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Lillian Boesel (Pal-Mac), a sophomore midfielder for Monroe Community College, registered assists on goals by Emily Peacock, Claudia Cuadras and Julie Engstler on Wednesday when the Tribunes floored Bryant & Stratton, 6-0. She also took two shots, putting one on goal. Freshman defensive midfielder Jocelynn Carpenter (Williamson) got in the game as well – her first time on the pitch for the Tribunes this season – but did not offer a shot.
Monroe is 11-1-2; Lillian leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and nine assists. The Tribunes will enter post-season play on Wednesday.
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In the last game before the East Coast Conference playoffs begin, Roberts Wesleyan women’s soccer fought Molloy University to a 0-0 tie on Saturday afternoon. Freshman forward Lauren Schmeelk (Williamson) entered the game off the bench and did not offer a shot. The Redhawks open the post-season by hosting D’Youville University on Wednesday in the conference quarterfinals.
Roberts is the four seed in the playoffs, D’Youville is the fifth seed. The Redhawks have an undefeated record at home (4-0-6) and eight shutouts.
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Women’s soccer at RIT lost to Ithaca on Wednesday, 2-3, but came back for a big 6-1 win against Bard College on Saturday. Junior midfielder Reilly Batzold (North Rose-Wolcott) came off the bench in the Bard game and put two shots on goal. The Tigers are 6-5-3 (4-3-1 Liberty League).
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St. John Fisher men’s soccer labored for a 2-2 draw with Brockport on Wednesday, then lost to Geneseo State on Saturday, 1-3, in the last game of the regular season. Junior goalkeeper Andrew Thomas (Pal-Mac) played the last 25 minutes against Geneseo and made one save, yielding no scores. The Cardinals are 7-5-3 (6-3-2 Empire 8) and enter the conference playoffs as the fourth seed, meeting fifth-seeded Brockport on Saturday.
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Alfred University women’s soccer finished its season with a 0-1 loss to Elmira on Wednesday and a 2-1 win over Russell Sage in the season curtain-closer Saturday. Junior midfielder Anna Henner (Williamson) got into the Elmira game but did not record a shot. The Saxons are 3-10-4 (2-7-2 E-8)
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The soccer season seems to be falling apart for the Stetson University women, who lost to Florida Gulf Coast University last Sunday, 0-2, and to North Florida on Saturday, 0-1. The Hatters now own a seven-game losing streak with two games left in the season. Senior goalie Clare Boesel (Pal-Mac) made two saves against FGCU. The Hatters are 2-13 (0-7 ASUN).
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Scoring is a huge problem for the University at Albany women’s soccer, which hasn’t put a goal in the net in eight games. The only time the Bulls have been making any positive headway has been when the defense keeps the opposition from scoring and the games end in 0-0 draws – that’s happened three times in the last six games.
Buffalo tied Akron last Sunday, 0-0, and lost to Bowling Green, 0-2, on Saturday. Junior midfielder Maya Ikewood (Pal-Mac) came off the bench and fired two shots versus Bowling Green. Buffalo is 4-6-6 (1-4-4 MAC).
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And scoring was also a problem for Alfred State’s women this week as the Pioneers came away with a scoreless tie with Oswego State on Wednesday, and lost to Oneonta State on Saturday, 0-4. Pioneer sophomore scoring phenom Isabella Hoffman (Gananda) put two shots on goal in the Oswego game and one more against Oneonta, but couldn’t get the ball to the twine. The Pioneers are 7-6-2 (3-4-1 SUNYAC) with the conference playoffs beginning this Wednesday against sixth-seeded Buffalo State.
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Gannon University women’s soccer played Slippery Rock University to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, then beat Pitt/Johnstown on Saturday, 3-1 to place the Golden Knights’ record at 12-2-3 (11-2-2 PSAC). Freshman starting defensive midfielder Sydney Howard (Wayne Central) was in both games for Gannon; she did not offer a shot.
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Junior midfielder Abby Sanzotta (Red Creek) and her Greensboro College teammates are sitting in third place in the USA South Conference after two wins during the week, one more game scheduled for this Wednesday, then the playoffs begin on Saturday.
The victories this week were over Shaw University, 3-0, on Wednesday, and 1-0 over Meredith College on Saturday. Abby got off two shots in each game, and one of them was on goal in the Meredith win. The Pride is 8-4-5 (4-1-3 USA South).
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Keuka College women’s soccer finished its season with a 0-4 loss to Nazareth on Wednesday and a 2-2 draw with Hartwick College on Saturday. The Wolves are 4-9-3 on the season, 0-8-3 in the Empire 8 Conference. Keuka will compete in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference next fall.
Freshman starting midfielder Bailey Cook (Wayne Central) got off one shot in the Naz loss but did not shoot in the Hartwick tie.
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Le Moyne College sophomore midfielder Ella Lathrop (Gananda) played about a third of the game and launched one shot when the Dolphins knocked off Chicago State last Sunday, 3-1. The Dolphins are 5-10-1 (4-2-1 NEC).
VOLLEYBALL
Finger Lakes Community College volleyball conquered the Mid-State Athletic Conference playoffs with two big Saturday wins – 3-0 over Jefferson CC and 3-1 against Genesee CC in the championship final, 3-1.
Sophomore Ava Van Antwerp (Gananda) posted three kills and a block assist against Jefferson; freshman Jade Stoner (Newark) saw some action but recorded no stats. In the Geneseo win, Ava produced six kills and added five block assists.
FLCC is 32-1 and now heads to the NJCAA Region III semifinals this coming Saturday.
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Nazareth volleyball had a good week, starting with a 0-3 loss to St. John Fisher on Wednesday, but followed by wins over Keuka College on Friday, 3-1, and Elmira College on Saturday, 3-0. Senior setter Anna Malbone (Wyne Central) made seven assists and six digs in the Fisher loss; produced 13 assists, a service ace and four digs against Keuka; and finished with eight assists and four aces against Elmira. The Golden Flyers 5-16 (3-6 Empire 8).
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SUNY Polytechnic volleyball was shut out twice this week, by Brockport on Friday and then by Geneseo on Saturday. Wildcat junior outside hitter Kara Stephens (Lyons) was in the game but had no stats versus Brockport; in the Geneseo game, she had one kill and one dig. The Wildcats fall to 3-21 (2-7 E-8).
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Keuka College lost to Nazareth on Friday, 1-3, and to St. John Fisher on Saturday, 0-3. Freshman middle hitter Emily Nevlezer (North Rose-Wolcott) played in the Fisher game and had four attack attempts. The Wolves are 10-14 (3-6 E-8).
SWIMMING
Oneonta State women’s swimming had no answers for Rensselaer Polytechnic on Saturday in a 92-180 loss. Red Dragon sophomore Sydney Richards (Gananda) took second places in the 200 breaststroke (2:47.19) and the 100 individual medley (2:26.25), finished fourth in the 200 free (2:11.26) and swam the second leg of the third-place 400 medley relay (4:24.30).
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Roberts Wesleyan men’s swimming finished in second place in Saturday’s Rochester Institute of Technology Tiger Invitational meet. Sophomore Hayden Smith (Pal-Mac) swam the first leg of the second-place 200 free relay (1:29.38) with teammate AJ Merced (Newark) taking the third leg. Hayden finished 11th in the 50 free (23.28), 12th in the 50 breaststroke (31.97), 15th in the 100 free (53.02), swam the second leg of the seventh-place 200 medley relay (1:53.32) and anchored the sixth-place 400 free relay (3:29.91).
AJ claimed fourth place in the 200 individual medley (2:03.60), seventh place in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.82), eighth place in the 500 free (5:16.54), took the first leg of the third-place 400 free relay (3:18.85), and anchored the fifth-place 400 individual medley relay (4:15.22).
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William Smith College opened its ’26-‘27 season on Saturday with a big win over Pitt/Bradford, 157-25. Heron senior Bria Romano (Lyons) swam the third leg of the third-place 200 free relay (2:03.67), second part of the fourth-place 200 medley relay (2:09.43), and placed third in the 100 breaststroke (1:29.27).
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Alfred University women swimmers are o-for-2 after losing a dual meet to Brockport State on Saturday, 83-214. Junior Elizabeth Share (Pal-Mac) did her best to stem the tide for Alfred – she won the 100 backstroke (1:01.67) and 100 individual medley (1:03.31), opened the second-place 200 medley relay (1:55.80), and took second in the 50 backstroke (28.32).
FOOTBALL
St. John Fisher football made the game with Cortland State interesting in the second half, but the Dragons prevailed, 20-28. Freshman defensive back Camron Quick (Pal-Mac) got into the game for the Cardinals but recorded no stats. Fisher is 5-2 (2-2 E-8).
GOLF
Geneseo State women’s golf competed in the Northeast Women’s Golf Conference Fall Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, playing at the par 72 Foxfire Golf Club in Geneseo on Monday and the par 73 Camillus Country Club on Tuesday. The Knights finished second on the Foxfire links with junior Lydia Hickey (Macedon/Penfield) shooting a 102, good for 10th place.
On Tuesday, Lydia carded a 96 and finished in a tie for 18th with the Knights fourth overall as a team. The team finishes its fall schedule with this event and will return to the greens and fairways in April.
CROSS-COUNTRY
Next Saturday is the big day for cross-country events as conference championships are decided, but Keuka College’s harriers put in a little extra work on Saturday at the Hamilton College Tune-up Cross-Country Invitational. Sophomore Alston Hernandez (North Rose-Wolcott) was the fourth Wolf finisher, in 36th place (19:15.2) over the 5K distance. Junior teammate Rylie Pratt (Wayne Central) came in 46th (24:06.9) in the women’s 4K.
NEWS
Le Moyne College, which is now part of the Division I Northeast Conference, has accepted an invitation to join the Metro Conference (formerly the MAAC) as of the beginning of the 2027-28 academic year. That means the Dolphins, who were once part of the MAAC, will compete with Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Merrimack, Mount S. Mary’s, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Rider, Sacred Heart and Sienna in 22 sports.