Fall break was anything but a rest for seven sports teams. Here is all of the action that you may have missed over the break.
Field hockey
The field hockey team (4-1 Patriot League, 9-5 overall) battled until the end against Quinnipiac University (9-6 overall), but ultimately lost 1-0 in a shootout on Oct. 12.
Neither team could convert through 80 minutes of the rainy affair, as all nine of the Leopards’ shots on goal were saved. The Bobcats dominated shootouts, picking up three points while only junior midfielder Stella Malinowski found the net for the Maroon and White.
Football
The football team (3-0 Patriot League, 5-3 overall) pieced together a historic offensive performance against Bucknell University (1-2 Patriot League, 4-4 overall), dismantling the Bison in a 62-24 blowout on Oct. 11 at Fisher Stadium. The Leopards finished with 670 total offensive yards, the most in program history.
Six different players found the endzone for the Leopards in their highest-scoring output since 1944. Senior quarterback Dean DeNobile finished 26-of-34 passing for 316 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, earning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors. The ground game shone just as bright, as junior running back Ethan Weber, sophomore running back Jakyre Henley and sophomore quarterback Jason Penza all managed touchdown runs of 60-plus yards.
Golf
The golf team competed in the Elon University Invitational from Oct. 13-14 at the par-71, 6,867-yard Alamance Country Club, finishing last in the 16-team field. Sophomore Travis Robertson led the way for the Leopards with a t-46 placement, carding a 218 across three rounds to finish 5-over.
Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team (2-1-3 Patriot League, 5-5-5 overall) picked up a Patriot League victory on Oct. 11, defeating Loyola Maryland University (2-4 Patriot League, 3-9-1 overall) 1-0 on the road. Junior midfielder Samir Dishnica managed the sole score in the 65th minute, attacking the net with a strike that curled and hit the top corner. Senior goalkeeper Eric Axtman saved two shots on goal to secure the shutout.
Swimming and diving
The swimming and diving season kicked off on Oct. 9 with a dual meet at Loyola Maryland University. Both the men’s and women’s teams fell to the Greyhounds by scores of 287-70 and 274-83, respectively.
Junior Landon Orth led the way for the men, scoring 291.16 in the 3-meter dive to finish in first place. Orth also secured second in the 1-meter drive, finishing 260.85. On the women’s side, senior Isabella Van Ess won the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:24.17.
Volleyball
The volleyball team (2-6 Patriot League, 4-14 overall) dropped a pair of matches in sweep fashion, losing 3-0 to American University (8-1 Patriot League, 15-4 overall) on Oct. 10 and Holy Cross (1-8 Patriot League, 7-18 overall) on Oct. 11.
The Leopards were held to less than 15 points in each of their sets against the Eagles. The Maroon and White kept it close in set one against the Crusaders — losing 25-23 — but dropped the next two sets decisively. Sophomore Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo led the way with 11 kills across both matches.
Women’s soccer
The women’s soccer team (1-3-3 Patriot League, 3-7-6 overall) went 0-1-1 over the break, falling 1-0 to Holy Cross (2-3-2 Patriot League, 5-7-4 overall) at Gummeson Grounds on Oct. 11 and squeaking out a 1-1 draw at Loyola (2-1-4 Patriot League, 5-3-7 overall) on Oct. 15. Despite outshooting the Crusaders 12-11, the Leopards could not convert on any of their opportunities. Holy Cross connected on the decider in the 82nd minute and held on tightly to the ball for the remainder of the contest.
The Greyhounds outshot the Leopards 17-6, but junior goalkeeper Catherine Apker accumulated seven saves in net to limit the damage to a 73rd-minute Loyola goal. On the brink of another loss, junior midfielder Nadia Zaffanella connected from 10 yards out with under five minutes left for the equalizer and her fifth goal on the season.
