Fall Sports in Full Swing at SUNY Niagara

By Sidney Ziemendorf

As the semester kicks off, our fall sports teams have started their seasons. This includes Women’s Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Club Soccer, and Men’s Club Hockey. Additionally, Baseball and Softball have begun playing fall ball and are preparing for their upcoming spring seasons.

Our Women’s Volleyball team is currently 1–8 overall to start the season. They have played regionally against Monroe, Fulton-Montgomery, Jefferson, SUNY Erie, SUNY Adirondack, Hudson Valley, and Finger Lakes. All of which unfortunately ended in losses. However, they had a 3–1 win against Roberts Wesleyan JV on September 17th, marking their first win of the season. Head Coach Lindsay Matikosh has seen a lot of improvement with this team, despite occasional setbacks.

“Volleyball is a game of mistakes, and the team needs to have the best short-term memory when it comes to games, because the next ball is coming,” said Matikosh. At two-year schools like

SUNY Niagara, teams often change quickly. When asked how this new team is playing together with such a large group of freshmen, Matikosh spoke of their potential.

“Team chemistry doesn’t just happen, and sometimes you must work at it. Volleyball is the one team sport that you absolutely cannot be successful in without your teammates. We are working on it every day we’re together.” Setting goals is essential for our Thunderwolves Volleyball team, according to Coach Matikosh. Her main focus this season is to build the team’s mental game, discipline, and confidence.

“We as a coaching staff know that they can be successful, they just have to believe it. Unfortunately, we cannot go on the court and do it for them. The only thing we can do is give them the tools, and it’s up to them what they do with it.” She has high hopes for the rest of the season, especially as much of their regional play is now behind them. She left me with this: “Life is tough, but volleyball doesn’t have to be. They are all here because they love the game and are choosing to be here. As long as we continue to be competitive and grow, the wins will come.”

Men’s and Women’s Club Soccer are mid-season. Men’s Soccer has started strong with a 3–2 record, opening their season with a 1–0 win against North Country Community College. Women’s Soccer is currently 0–3 after falling in their season opener to Hudson Valley Community College. Their next game will be at home against SUNY Broome on September 27th, while the men will face SUNY Erie.

Our Men’s Club Hockey team began the season with a split opening weekend: a 9–4 win against Mercyhurst, followed by a 5–3 loss to Fredonia. With a balanced roster of freshmen and sophomores and a new head coach, there are high hopes for the team as they continue into December. You can catch their games at Hyde Park in Niagara Falls.

Meanwhile, Baseball and Softball’s fall scrimmages are underway. Baseball began its fall season in North Carolina at High Point University, facing Gaston Community College and Catawba Valley Community College. They then returned home to play the Ontario Nationals at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls. With last season’s team making it to the NJCAA DIII Baseball World Series and becoming Region 3 champions, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Thunderwolves as they prepare for spring training in Clermont, Florida in March. They face the Windsor Selects at home on October 3rd at 5:30 PM.

Softball opened their fall season with a doubleheader against Nitro at home in late August, followed by four games against the Hamburg Dawgs and West Seneca Magic at Hamburg High School. Head Coach Jenna Koch has high expectations for this team heading into the spring. “I

expect this team to compete very well against other teams in our region,” said Koch. “We have a strong chemistry that we are building on each day. We will have a strong spring training, and we will continue to build and get better.”

With a strong recruiting class of freshmen and sophomores, SUNY Niagara Softball continues to improve each game and shows great promise. Their next games will be in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 26–27 at the Cuyahoga Invitational against Macomb CC. Both teams fundraise for spring training by working Buffalo Bills concessions at each home game.