Hobart and William Smith Colleges houses 15 collegiate men’s teams and 15 collegiate women’s teams. Of these teams, all compete in the NCAA Division III, except for Men’s Lacrosse which is the Colleges’ only team to compete in Division I. The 2023-2024 school year was a big year for HWS Athletics as five teams won their conference championship, with Hobart Men’s Hockey going all the way to winning the NCAA Division III National Championship for the second year in a row.
The first of five sports to win the 2023 Conference Championship is William Smith (WS) Women’s Soccer. On November 5th, 2023, William Smith Soccer won their Liberty League Conference Championship, making it the 19th win in WS Soccer history.
Aliceann Wilber is the WS Soccer coach and has been since 1980, with fourteen of the nineteen Liberty League Championship wins under her coaching as well as two national championships. Coach Wilber is very proud of WS Soccer and has come a long way from when she first started coaching in 1980. Every team wants to win, but that is only possible if they work together as a team, communicate and many other things. Coach Wilber’s goal within her own team is:
“We focus on establishing a work ethic, mindset and execution capacity that will enable us to win the Liberty League title, host initial rounds of NCAA competition and get us to the Final Four. Upon advancing to the Final Four we would reset our goals.”
Just like having a goal, most teams have mottos that they will refer back to, to help them succeed in their season. WS Soccer has two main mottos that they go by every game – “The importance of demonstrating kindness and appreciation is vastly underrated” is the first motto Coach Wilber stated, and the second is that “there is no comfort in the growth zone and no growth in the comfort zone.”
Considering that this was the 19th Liberty League Championship won by William Smith Soccer, the team’s connection to their past gives them the opportunity to not only continue their “tradition of winning” but to consider it a challenge for themselves to see if they can keep living up to their name.
During Ireland Krawczyk’s three years here playing for WS Soccer, the team has won two Liberty League Championships; her first year (2021) and her third year (2023.) A Junior at the Colleges majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology, Krawczyk reflects on how both the coaches and team members have had a substantial impact to their experience here at the Colleges:
“It is so rewarding to be part of the WS soccer team surrounded by an amazing group of girls and coaching staff who are so committed to making the team better as well as each other.”
Krawczyk talks about the pressure that is put on the athletes to live up to their legacy and how it can be tough mentally and physically on the student athlete; but she states that because of the team dynamic, the coach, the physical trainers and everyone behind the scenes makes it worth it. The second of the five teams to win the 2023 Conference Championship is Hobart Men’s Soccer. The same day that WS Soccer won their title, Hobart Soccer won their fourth Liberty League Championship against Ithaca College. Hobart Soccer is coached by Shawn Griffin who just finished his 24th season as Head Coach, making the fall 2024 season his 25th season and 33rd year overall as the head coach. All four of the Liberty League Championships have been won under his coaching as well as the team attending eight NCAA Division III National Tournaments. Every team’s goal is to be the team to win the championship and earn the highest title they can that year, but that isn’t the only goal Coach Griffin has:
“We obviously want to win every competition we engage in but there are other areas such as doing well in the classroom academically, creating lifelong friendships with their teammates and obviously winning games and championships!”
The colleges have many resources to help students, regardless if they are an athlete, succeed in the classroom and do the best they can with their potential.
Every season, Hobart soccer has a team motto that will be displayed on the back of their training t-shirts and the motto for the 2023 season was “A Deal is A Deal,” referring to the “deal” that the athletes agreed to adhere to the core values of the team and program – “Hard Work, Self-Discipline, Respect, and Toughness. You agree to the expectations that are set forth by the coaches and players. Similar to a handshake…A Deal is A Deal.”
With Hobart Soccer following those core values, it sets them up for success on and off the field. Being a student athlete is a year around commitment, even if the sport is only for one season/semester. What people don’t generally see, is the work that they put in during their off season. They are lifting, having practices, playing in their own time, and training any chance they get.
But not everyone comes in with that determination and commitment, it is developed through their teammates and most importantly through support from the coach. “For me personally, I realize that my position as head coach is a very important title. First and foremost, I want to be a great role model for my players. Set great examples for down the road so when my players have left Hobart and are embarking on their own career and even parenthood,” states Griffin, “they do things the right way and hopefully I have demonstrated behaviors that they will use later on in life for whatever the situation might be.” Coach Griffin has stated that they have a strong group of hard working and talented players for the 2024 season, returners and first years coming in and he is excited for what the upcoming season has in store for them. Hobart soccer appreciates the continuous support from every part of HWS, and the support from their fans and that the support that is given helps push them every day to do the best they can.
The third fall sport to win their 2023 Liberty League Championship is William Smith Field Hockey, defeating Ithaca College on November 5th with a score of 1-0 to claim the title. William Smith Field Hockey is coached by alum Sophie Riskie ‘07, who served as Assistant Coach for 13 years before becoming the Head Coach in 2021. When asked about the differences between when she went to WS and played field hockey versus now, she stated that other than there being some rule changes in the game, it is very similar to when she went here.
“So much of the Heron experience is very similar to when I played. We are a values driven team, placing a high emphasis on relationships, respect, selflessness, resilience, and integrity. We are always striving to be competing at a national level and have fun during the pursuit of our goals.” As a coach, she pushes the athletes to play at their best potential and some of the best qualities that are seen through the team culture is that they all support each other and help one another when needed.
Winning the 2023 Liberty League Championships was the second year in a row that the WS Field Hockey had won and this year the game was an away game. Many of the conference championships in the past had been played at William Smith on our home turf, which gives WS players an advantage. By winning the past two championships, both of which being away games, shows the strength and determination of William Smith Field Hockey. “The visiting team has greater challenges like the home crowd in the stands and the playing surface was different than our home astro-turf surface, so it makes the victory even sweeter,” explains the coach. Many do not realize how different games are for the players when you are not on your home turf so winning two conference championships in away-games shows the skill of WS Field Hockey players.
There is a huge Senior class on the team graduating this May, and a decent amount of graduate students as well; but the team has a strong group of returning players, as well as a compelling new group of students joining, so the team’s goals remain the same. “We have grown as a team over the course of the season and over a player’s four year career we cultivated gratitude, confidence and resilience, preparing them for the challenges of the world when they fly from the nest,” Coach Riskie stated. Having played in the Final Four when she was a player at William Smith, Coach Riskie’s personal goal is to lead the team back to the Final Four as their coach.
Moving into the spring semester with winter and spring sports, Hobart Basketball won the 2024 Liberty League Championships on February 25th with a score of 63-55 against St. Laurence. Hobart Basketball is coached by 2013 Hobart alum, Stefan Thompson, and he has been head coach of the team since 2017. Coach Thompson notes that throughout his time as a student and now as a coach, the support that is given to HWS Athletics through the community has always played a major role in the success of the team and that support continues to grow and is always shown no matter the game. The only difference he noticed from when he played basketball at Hobart and now when he is coaching, is the amount of support, which keeps growing. “This team cares about one another and truly enjoys spending time together. Teams that are close off the court usually have a chance of being successful on the court.” The players on Hobart Basketball really support each other and work well with one another on and off the court and you can see that, especially with how successful they were this past season.
The team’s motto for success changes and evolves as the season goes on and they are faced with new challenges. They started the season with the motto “Keep stacking days” which was a reference to their ability to make small changes throughout the season in order to get big results. Once they kept advancing, their motto changed to “15/15 + 5/5” which showed that they were all in this together; all 15 of the student-athletes and then all five of the coaches. Winning the Liberty League Championship shows a lot about a team, not just how they play but how they are together as one. Coach Thompson reflects on the season and states that not only is it a great feeling as a coach or as a player it shows that all the hard work the team put in has paid off “A lot of hard work and sacrifices are needed to obtain a championship – that joy offers a sense of relief that we did it and we all can cherish something together.”
Ryan Lucey, a Senior at Hobart College as well as a forward on Hobart Basketball, is a Media and Society major with a minor in Entrepreneurial Studies. Being a four year student athlete is a big success in and of itself, but to win a Liberty League Championship makes it even more impressive. “It was honestly one of the best feelings that I have ever experienced in my life. Just a feeling of pure happiness and excitement when the final buzzer went off. Especially being on our home court, it makes it much more special to do it in front of our fans.” His four years here has prepared him for many aspects in life after graduation. He stated that it taught him how to have a good work ethic, time management, communication, discipline and many other qualities that play a vital role in the workforce. With this being Lucey’s last year at Hobart there was a lot left he wanted to do. His personal main goal for himself was to lead by example for his teammates, he was named Team Captain this past year because of his dedication to the sport and the team as well as being there for everyone else. “You are entering a brotherhood that wants to win more than anyone else. We have a lot of fun together, but we also get after each other and hold one another accountable when needed.” Now that they have won the 2023 Liberty League Championship, what are the next steps for Hobart Basketball? Coach Thompson notes that it is very important that they do not stay stagnant, that they are always “adding new layers and dimensions to our program so we can continue to evolve and grow.” With seniors graduating, they are welcoming some new incoming first year student athletes that will add something to the team on and off the court. The team will also be taking a trip to Europe in 2025 to train overseas and gain new experiences through basketball.
Last but not least, Hobart Hockey coached by Mark Taylor, not only won their Liberty League Championship but went on to win the National Championship for the second year in a row! Coach Taylor has been coaching Hobart Hockey for 22 seasons and is only the fourth coach in Hobart Hockey history. Mark Taylor has accumulated many titles over the past 22 seasons; he was awarded with the Edward Jeremiah Award (AHCA Division III Men’s Coach of the Year) in 2023, NEHC Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and ECAC West Coach of the Year for six years. He was the coach to lead Hobart Hockey to the 2023 National Championship and that was the first national championship win in Hobart Hockey History! Coach Taylor has led the program to 13 NCAA tournament bids, as well as winning the National Championship two years in a row! He has been the coach since 2000 but due to COVID, he has coached 22 seasons as everything was shut down for almost two years. Hobart Hockey has been making history every year whether it’s winning a National Championship, making records, or anything else.
Jonah Alexander is a Senior at the Colleges with a double major in English and Media and Society while also being a part of Hobart Hockey during his time at HWS. He was a part of the team when they won the National Championship last year as well as this year. “It feels pretty special to do it again, especially with this group of guys. It’s hard to put into words what it meant to see our families and everyone who came over from Geneva in the stands. I think everyone was just relieved we got it done.” Hobart Hockey has done so much for Jonah other than just being a great team providing support. Being a Statesman has prepared Jonah in many ways for when he joins the workforce, especially when it comes to facing adversity. “Things don’t always go as planned, but being able to work on a team and finding a way to overcome obstacles will be beneficial.” If being a student athlete teaches you anything, it’s how to face challenges and adapt to whatever comes your way. For Jonah, Hobart Hockey was his family, whenever help was needed none of his teammates hesitated to come help him, everyone was there for everyone.