Many Albion College athletic programs were putting the “Labor” in this past Labor Day weekend. Here’s a quick recap:
Football
In their season opener, the Britons fell in a tough battle to the Little Giants of Wabash College. Kyle Thomas, a first-year quarterback from Wixom, Mich., made an impressive debut, throwing for 215 yards and rushing 52. Strong defensive performances were made by defensive back Geordon Carter, who collected 19 tackles, along with sophomore safety Patrick Czarnecki and senior linebacker Jose Rodriguez, who each made 10.
The Britons will make their home debut this coming weekend against Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team picked up one win against the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern, and took a tough loss to the Blue Streaks of John Carroll. The ladies dominated Ohio Northern on Friday with a final score of 4-0. Senior Jenna Urso led the Britons with a pair of goals, while junior Alex Radzville and senior Samantha LaRocca each contributed a goal.
Despite a strong offensive effort, the Britons fell short on Saturday by a score of 2-0. Senior goalkeeper Maggie Troost had a valiant showing in goal, garnering four saves.
The team returns to action this Wednesday, September 6, in a home match against MIAA rival Hope College.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team went on the road to face Hiram College and Westminster College of Pennsylvania. In back-to-back games, the Britons picked up one win and a tie.
Christian Hurtado, a junior from Glendale, Arizona, produced the equalizing goal early in the second half, while first-year Kay Whitmore scored his first collegiate goal to help the Britons achieve a 2-1 victory over the Hiram College Terriers on Friday.
The men returned to action on Saturday, this time facing Westminster. Whitmore continued to impress, scoring Albion’s only goal of the match, thanks to an assist from South Lyon junior Gabe Martinez. Unlike Friday’s match, this one ended in a 1-1 draw.
The men will next travel to Wisconsin on September 9 to take on Marian University.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Both squads traveled to Hunting Valley, Ohio, to compete against regionally-ranked squads Case Western and John Carroll. For the men, sophomore Andrew Bill took the individual win, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 19:12.3 The men took home the team victory, placing its top four runners in the top 10 of the race. The women were led by junior Cassie Vince, who set the 4,000-meter course record with a time of 14:43. The women placed third overall in the team race.
The men’s and women’s teams will return to action next Friday, September 15, at the Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University.
Volleyball
The Briton ladies took a trip to the Big Apple this weekend, competing at the Kean Invitational. With the help of sophomore Kayla O’Malley and junior Taylor Rosenthal, the Britons beat New York University in three sets by scores of 25-16, 25-19 and 25-22. However, Johnson & Wales University took down the Britons in three sets, 25-10, 25-19 and 25-23. Sophomore Kelsey Gustafson contributed with six kills and senior Rachel Zawodny came up with three aces.
The ladies make their home debut this Friday, September 8, against conference rival Trine University.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team kicked off the season with an impressive performance at the Lou Collins Memorial Tournament at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek. The Britons were led by Justin Kapke, Soti Michalos, and Justin Leeds, who all shot in the 70s. Kapke’s best round was a 76, while Michalos and Leeds each had a round of 78.
You can find the team next at the Irish Hills Invitational at the Grande, September 15-16 in Jackson.
Women’s Golf
The lady Britons finished ninth out of 17 teams this past weekend at the Shootout on the Border, hosted by Trine University. The junior duo of Madison Kroetsch and Megan Moco led the team with 173 totals.
The team will return to Indiana again this coming weekend, this time competing at the Huntington University Invitational.
Photo by Andrew Wittland
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