Nordic Skiing and Women's Hockey Heading to Nationals!

Nordic Skiing and Women's Hockey Heading to Nationals!
February 29, 2024

Paul Smiths, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College Nordic team and women's hockey team are heading to their respective national tournaments this week, with both teams set on bringing home a national championship.  Playing under differing governing bodies, both teams have fared well this season and are expected to be championship contenders.  The Nordic team will compete this weekend in the 2024 United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY while the women's hockey team will travel to West Chester, PA on Tuesday to take part in the first-ever Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) College Hockey Women's National Championship.  

Nordic Skiing

The men's team returns Aidan Ripp (Cloquet, MN) who will be contending for the overall individual title again, as well as Philip Matthews (Half Moon, NY) who was a three time All-American last year, and Diego Schillaci (New Paltz, NY) who was a 2022 All-American.  Timothy Ziegler (Marquette, MI) will add depth to the team with Jacob Alberga having a chance to add some help in the sprints for the Bobcats.

The men's team will be in the hunt for a podium position at the National Championship and with several incredibly strong teams from the West it'll be a tight weekend.  Last year's National Champions, Western Colorado, return their entire team and will be the favorites to repeat in 2024.   

Last year, the men's team secured second place overall, losing by just 7 points as the final day of racing was called off due to weather.  They won Day 1, tied Day 2, and lost Day 3 of last year's tournament, and will be hungry for revenge against their burgeoning rivals from Colorado. 
 
"Our team has had a great year and having skied Vanho as much as anyone will be a slight advantage," said Matt Dougherty, head Nordic ski coach for the Bobcats.  "We are going to go into each day and focus on being our best selves, the best performance we can do for that day and not worry about the other teams, the conditions, or anything we can't control. It should be an exciting National Championship for the Bobcats!"
 
The women's team will be in the hunt for a podium position at the National Championships in a very crowded field as they challenge Wyoming and St. Olaf (the two perenial favorites) for the overall title.  The Bobcats will be in the hunt for the championship as well as Kaisa Bosek (Alexandria, MN), Jessie Church (Bethlehem, NH), and Emily Cieslewitz (Marcy, NY) will be present.  Also joining the women's nationals roster will be Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, ME), who will be returning from the IBU Jr. World Championships teo help the Bobcats.
 
Returning all skiiers last year who placed third overall, the strength for the Bobcats at the upcoming event will be strong pack skiing and scoring as their top 1-3 are capable of putting up big points.  
 
Women's Hockey 

The Paul Smith's College women's hockey team will be heading to the first-ever AAU College Hockey Women's National Championship.  After a season filled with adversity and many hard fought matches, the team has earned a place in the inaugural postseason tournament.  

The Bobcats are led on offense by sophomore Leah Coulombe (Jay, NY) who has racked up 17 goals and 20 total points in 13 games.  She notched seven points in three games in the month of January, enough to earn her Player of the Month honors for the AAU College Hockey Women's Division.  Other notable performances by freshmen Samantha Barrett (Oak Park, IL) and Riley Newcomb (Cazenovia, NY) have put the team in a position to compete for a national title, a first for the program.  With Ashley Finch (Oswego, NY) and Lola De Toni (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) splitting duties in net, both have put up valiant performances and kept games close for the team throughout the season.

Coach Gibson Gilmore weighed in ahead of the tournament, saying "This is a special opportunity for the team.  They have battled all season, showing the ability to fight through difficult situations and adjust to whatever is thrown at them.  With this being such a young program, having this experience of competing for a National Championship will give this team a taste of what is to come and give a boost to the program's credibility when it comes to attracting talent.  We will battle like we always have, and it will be an exciting tournament."

The team will be in West Chester, Pennsylvania from March 5th-10th as they begin group play on Thursday, March 7th against the University of Tampa at 10am.  The final is scheduled for Sunday, March 10th at 11am.  

You can follow the Nordic team on Instagram at @paulsmiths_nordic and the women's hockey at @pscwhockey or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, schedules, updates, and more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.