It’s far too early to know what will happen during the fall sports season at Castleton, however, one can do his best to make some predictions. A little less than a year removed from its North Atlantic Conference championship, the women’s field hockey team has yet to score a goal in two contests. The squad, led by 2008 NAC Coach of the Year and Student Association Coach of the Year, Tammy Landon, was blanked by Kean University 6-0 and then by Keene State 4-0. Landon says that the ladies are slowly improving but that they just need to start scoring goals. I agree.

The team has lost over 140 points from the lethal threesome of Carolyn Griggs, Kayla Blank and Trishia Fellows, all of whom graduated last year, and now it is up to current seniors Molly Fraher and Marie Amaral to lead the offense.

Men’s soccer is going for a three-peat this season, hoping to get solid defense from Nick Bellizzi and keeper Mike Anthony. On the offensive side of the ball, the team needs to step up in the absence of last year’s leading scorer, Ryan Hahn. I have no doubt, though, that Josh Costa and Sean Fitzgerald can find that step quickly.

Women’s soccer entered the NAC tournament a year ago as the number two seed, but was knocked out early at home by the University of Maine-Farmington in an overtime heartbreaker. I have faith that Courtney Chadburn will improve on her 21 goals from a year ago and that she will lead the team deep into the NAC tournament this season.

And, of course, the Castleton State College football team has begun its inaugural season. I have a feeling that the saying “Undefeated Since 1787” is going to become obsolete, and fast. The team plays other first-year programs, such as Anna Maria, whom the Spartans beat this past weekend, but also must play the likes of Mount Ida and Becker while on the road.

The Spartans next match-up is against Utica who downed Becker by a tune of 64-7 last Saturday. It might be fair to say that the slogan “Undefeated Since 1787” goes out the window next week on the road.

Most of the fall teams will be the first to play on the new turf field at Spartan Stadium. Like most out-of-state students, I was unimpressed to see my tuition bill skyrocket this past summer. But then I saw the finished stadium in all her glory and thought, “I don’t mind that tuition bill so much anymore, I guess.” Good luck to the fall athletes and cheers to my tuition money finding a beautiful home.