By Greg Mandozzi ’18
Staff Writer
It’s that time of year where the crisp fall air has taken the place of the sweltering summer heat. That time where we change our orders from iced to hot coffee, and brace ourselves for the perpetual winds and low temperatures that surround us for much of the academic year. Here at Merrimack College, this past weekend was Homecoming weekend, and what a weekend it was.
This past weekend was a Warrior celebration and reunion like no other, where alumni, parents, and current students, along with their families huddled together, braving the cold, and enjoying the festivities on campus. The tailgates, cookouts, and fall fun, often centered around sport contests, many of which featured great Warrior success.
It all kicked off with the men’s ice hockey team dropping the puck against ECAC adversary Clarkson University on Friday night. The game began close, before the Warriors would pull away to a whopping 7-1 victory. Also on Friday night, the women’s volleyball team pulled off an impressive win over Southern New Hampshire by a score of 3-1 at home. It was a night that would prove to kickstart a trend of success here on campus as the weekend continued on.
On Saturday morning, campus was met with great crowds of the Warrior faithful tailgating and preparing for the day’s festivities. To kick off the events, the football team took care of business on the gridiron. The squad treated the Homecoming weekend crowd to a decisive 41-16 win over Saint Anselm at Martone-Mejail Field.
The women’s ice hockey team is making history this season, as they embark on the inaugural season of the school’s program. And what better way to start writing the history books than to notch their first win ever at home on Saturday, besting the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 2-1. Freshman Paige Voight and Sophomore Jackie Pieper tallied the two historic goals to earn the win. Unfortunately, they would then fall on Sunday against the University of Maine by the same score of 2-1.
Thanks to a clutch goal in the 89th minute, the men’s soccer team squeaked past Franklin pierce in a 2-1 victory of their own. Junior forward Jaime Cortes Torres completed the comeback win with a last second header to seal the deal. Later that same action packed night, the men’s hockey team would complete the ECAC weekend sweep, as they earned a chippy 3-1 victory over St. Lawrence.
There was no shortage of Warrior pride on campus, and our student athletes didn’t disappoint the huge crowd, putting on a show for the visiting Merrimack family.
Photo by Kevin Salemme
