Club Sports Successful in the Fall, Prepare for Spring

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Club sports are a fun way for Fordham students to participate in low-stakes sports. (Courtesy of Instagram)

Club sports at Fordham are a fun and low-commitment way for students to continue their sports careers after high school and provide opportunities for students to meet others who share a love for their sport. There are many different teams on campus, from rugby to lacrosse, who accept students that have never played before or played for many years. Many of those teams began their seasons in September and are beginning to wrap up in November before preparing for the spring season. 

The women’s club rugby team had a strong fall season, earning a place in the league quarterfinals against SUNYMaritime College. Club president Kayla Bonitto, FCRH ’23, gave some insight into how the team is shaping up, “We’ve really worked hard these past two years to rebuild our team, particularly this semester with a group of mostly rookies and few returnees. Almost all of our players had no experience playing rugby before college and the fact that we’ve pushed ourselves into the number one seed in our division this season is definitely something they should be proud of.” They came off of a 36-27 win against SUNY New Paltz on Oct. 23, and defeated Maritime 34-21 to earn a spot in the semifinals. 

Women’s Club Lacrosse has seen similar success in the fall season. On Oct. 15, they traveled to Stony Brook University and swept both games. They defeated Stony Brook 9-6 in the first game. In the second game, the team handily defeated New York University 14-2, and a week later on Oct. 22, they won a matchup against Hofstra University 15-2. Captain Daven Roberts, GSB ’23, said she has confidence that the spring will be even better after an exciting fall season. “It has been a fun semester of bonding, figuring out every player’s strengths, and getting to know everyone. Being closer as a team has paid off on the field and, in my opinion, amplified the talent that was there coming in. We’ve beat all of our opponents so far and really used every game as a building block to become better as a unit! I have high hopes for the spring.” She’s excited about the talent and potential of the team this year, especially after missing almost two full years due to the pandemic. The final two games of their fall season will take place at Marist College on Nov. 6. 

The men’s club soccer team ended the fall on a high note, with wins against Hofstra (2-0) and Columbia University (4-2) on Oct. 14 and 15 respectively. Due to their one loss, they were not able to make the regional tournament, but captain Jack Flanagan, FCRH ’23, and the team look forward to more games in the spring.

The club ice hockey team is also coming off of two wins, both against Sacred Heart University. On Oct. 22, they came out on top by a 4-3 score and put up a 7-4 win the next day. They earned a 6-3 win this weekend against Ramapo College as well. The hockey team is looking forward to games on Nov. 6 and 11 before their East Coast Showdown tournament in Aston, Penn. at the end of the month.

Club Baseball had a strong weekend starting on the 15th, sweeping all three of their games against Stony Brook. They played against Marist this past weekend, winning the three-game series 2-1.

The club tennis team also had a successful weekend, placing second in the TCNJ Invitational Tournament. Club Softball played two games against Sacred Heart a week later, winning one 7-3 and losing the other despite a valiant offensive effort of 11 runs. 

Instead of wrapping up their season in November, the women’s club squash team is looking forward to their first matchup of the new campaign against Vassar College on Nov. 5. Their season starts this weekend and extends until March. 

Many of the club sports teams had great fall seasons and allowed players to practice before the spring season gets going. From rebuilding teams to repeating success, the club sports teams here at Fordham University are ready for the new challenges that 2023 will bring.