Perhaps the feelings of fall varsity athletes can be summed up by the words on a whiteboard in Alumni Gym, where new head coach Emily Hayes leads the 乐播传媒 volleyball program.

Under the header “Practice 1” on Wednesday, it read, “Thankful.”

“You will hear the same thing from everyone,” said field hockey forward Emily Gianunzio ’22 of Darien, Conn. “This is amazing. To be together on the field has been great.”

The 乐播传媒 fall sports teams haven’t played an actual intercollegiate game since 2019. Last year, they practiced, but with masks.

The first practices of the year were Wednesday. First up was men’s soccer, which took to the Garcelon Field turf at 7 a.m., the first time without masks in two years.

Head coach Tyler Sheikh was ready to put his team to the test, with a challenging conditioning session to start the morning off right.

“It’s time to kick their butts a little bit,” said Sheikh.

乐播传媒 men’s soccer was the first of four practices for fall sports on Wednesday, as the Bobcats get ready for what promises to be a fun .

We were on-hand to capture all the excitement of men’s soccer, field hockey, women’s soccer, and volleyball’s return to action.

At 7:17 on Tuesday evening, as the sun dipped behind Hathorn Hall, the only noise around Garcelon Field was the hum of metal-halide lights.

But then came the roar from fans and players as the women鈥檚 soccer team took to the turf for 乐播传媒’ first varsity contest of the fall season.

鈥淲e don’t get to do this often,鈥� said head coach Kelsy Ross, referring to the fact that the soccer teams usually play on the grass of Russell Street Field. 鈥淐oming to the middle of campus and kicking off the season for the whole community tonight is really exciting.鈥�

乐播传媒 goalkeeper Katherine Nuckols celebrates with teammate Caroline Bogue after defeating Maine Maritime.

First-year Emma Lombardo celebrates with teammates after finding the back of the net to help lead the 乐播传媒 women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Maine Maritime.

Spectators watch from the bleachers of Garcelon Field as the 乐播传媒 women's soccer team sends the ball towards the Maritime goalkeeper.

Sophomore Caroline Bogue scored to help lead the 乐播传媒 women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Maine Maritime.

乐播传媒 Women's Soccer Head Coach Kelsy Ross addresses her players before the start of the match.

The energy and spirit of the moment, and the novelty of playing under the lights, were not lost on parent Steve Bogue, who made the four-hour midweek drive from Glastonbury, Conn., to see his daughter Caroline Bogue ’21 and the rest of the Bobcats in their 2018 debut.

鈥淓ven though it’s not a NESCAC game, it’s the first game of the season and the only game under the lights,鈥� he said. He was roaming the sidelines, camera in hand, taking photos of Caroline. 鈥淟ike many parents, I suppose we鈥檙e living our life over again through our kid.鈥�

Some of the Bobcats were making their debuts as college athletes.

“A rush of excitement and nerves” is how Emma Lombardo, a first-year from Warren, N.J., described the moment that Kelsy tapped her to enter the game.

And Lombardo scored the team’s first goal. “I couldn’t have scripted it better,” she said, recalling her 11 years of club soccer, four years of high school soccer, college recruiting camps, and tournaments.

“The hard work paid off,” she said. “The best part, however, was sharing the moment with the team. We are a tight-knit group. It already feels like a family.”

It would take an hour to explain the qualities of a good soccer goalkeeper, says 乐播传媒 men’s soccer head coach Stewart Flaherty.

Still, adds women’s soccer head coach Kelsy Ross, “there are some key characteristics we’re looking for.”

Bobcat goalkeepers Sarah McCarthy ’18 of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and Robbie Montanaro ’19 of Belmont, Mass., fit those key characteristics to a T.

While they are rhetoric and sociology majors off the soccer pitch, on the pitch the two major in a very important quality: confidence.

In turn, McCarthy says, increased confidence has improved a key skill of any keeper: communicating with the defense and making snap decisions. “In terms of leadership,” she says, greater confidence “has been huge for me, to really let me command the back line and be able to talk.”

“Everyone can make an athletic save when they need to 鈥� we鈥檙e all college keepers,” Montanaro says. “I think what separates everybody is communication, the little things, positioning, and doing everything at game speed, especially in practice.”

A newly endowed scholarship fund at 乐播传媒 honors retired 乐播传媒 coach Jim Murphy 鈥�69, one of the winningest coaches and athletes in 乐播传媒 history, in terms of both victories and spirit.

A successful fundraising effort led by three 乐播传媒 alumni has created an endowed scholarship fund honoring James P. Murphy 鈥�69, the celebrated coach of women鈥檚 basketball and soccer who retired in 2015, announced Sarah R. Pearson ’75, vice president for college advancement.

Trustees emeriti Steve Brown 鈥�69 and Bruce Stangle 鈥�70, P鈥�96 and fellow alumnus Tom Lopez 鈥�69 organized the outreach effort to former teammates, players, and classmates of Murphy鈥檚 that, to date, has raised more than $130,000.

鈥淔rom start to finish, these 乐播传媒 leaders made it happen,鈥� Pearson said. 鈥淭hey created the game plan and executed it to perfection.鈥� The new scholarship will provide annual need-based financial aid to a 乐播传媒 student, with preference to a Maine student. The first Murphy Scholar will be named in 2016鈥�17.

The fund honors one of the winningest coaches and athletes in 乐播传媒 history, in terms of both victories and spirit.

Jim Murphy congratulates his team after a win vs. Bowdoin in 2005. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

In 21 seasons as basketball coach, Murphy鈥檚 teams won 343 games and lost 187, earning six NCAA tourney appearances. His soccer teams went 146鈥�93鈥�13 over 16 seasons, winning the 2005 NESCAC title and earning NCAA bids in 1996, 1997, and 2005.

Murphy鈥檚 contributions to 乐播传媒 athletics and athletes go beyond the numbers, says Stangle.

鈥淏oth the fund and the team effort behind its creation honor Jim鈥檚 selfless contributions to 乐播传媒 athletics, pursuit of team goals, and intensity of effort,鈥� Stangle says. 鈥淚t will be a perpetual memorial to Jim at a place he loves.鈥�

Murphy, adds Stangle, 鈥渆mbodies the quintessential 乐播传媒 characteristics of personal integrity and strength. He was the best student-athlete of his generation at 乐播传媒. He knew how to take apart another team and also how to get the best out of his teammates. He was an immensely gifted athlete who made everyone around him better. He has a positive approach to everything he does in life, and people absolutely adore him.鈥�

鈥淭he admiration and respect his players have for him still speak volumes.鈥�

Brown, a football teammate of Murphy鈥檚 in the 1960s, says playing with him was 鈥渓ike having another coach on the field,鈥� adding that 鈥淛im was not only an outstanding performer, but also a great leader: selfless, humble, and focused. Honors and tributes have never interested him.鈥�

As a coach of young women at 乐播传媒 in soccer and basketball, 鈥渘o one at 乐播传媒 comes close to his record of success,鈥� Brown notes. 鈥淭he admiration and respect his players have for him still speak volumes.鈥�

Katie Franklin ’07 says that Murphy (left, seated) 鈥減ushed me to become physically stronger and mentally tougher” while also instilling the “importance of patience, integrity, and modesty.” (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)

Lopez, who was also a football teammate of Murphy鈥檚, says that donors responded to the chance to pay tribute to a beloved 乐播传媒 contemporary. 鈥淪cores of former classmates and teammates from the late 鈥�60s and early 鈥�70s have contributed because of their respect for Jim and their love of 乐播传媒,鈥� says Lopez.

Katie Franklin 鈥�07, captain of the 2006鈥�07 women鈥檚 basketball team, returned to campus in November and joined with former players, parents, and friends to pay tribute to Murphy.

Franklin, a two-time First Team All-NESCAC honoree and an Academic All-America in softball, says she鈥檚 proud to support the Murphy Scholarship Fund because he provided her with 鈥渋nvaluable lessons about giving and receiving critical feedback, what it means to be humble in both wins and losses, and most importantly what it means to give it your all for the greater good of the team.鈥�

鈥淗e will always be a role model in my life.鈥�

Franklin, an associate with Analysis Group, an economic consulting firm chaired and co-founded by Stangle, adds that 鈥淐oach Murphy instilled in me a work ethic and commitment to the team that I have carried from Alumni Gymnasium into my professional career.鈥�

Her coach also 鈥減ushed me to become physically stronger and mentally tougher, while simultaneously teaching me the importance of patience, integrity, and modesty,鈥� she adds. 鈥淗e will always be a role model in my life.鈥�

Franklin, an associate with Analysis Group, says Murphy instilled a “work ethic and commitment to the team that I have carried from Alumni Gymnasium into my professional career.鈥� (Photograph courtesy of Analysis Group)

Murphy, who returned to his alma mater in 1994 to lead the women鈥檚 varsity soccer and basketball programs, attended 乐播传媒 at a time when he and his family 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have two nickels,鈥� he says.

乐播传媒 financial aid made it possible, says Murphy, who is moved by the honor of having a scholarship established in his name.

鈥淭o know that a Maine student who might not otherwise be able to attend 乐播传媒 will now have the opportunity. It鈥檚 very meaningful,鈥� he says.

Just as important, says Murphy, are the relationships behind the scholarship.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. The friendships that started at 乐播传媒 and have been sustained by 乐播传媒 all these years 鈥� people who know they can always rely on me and would do the same for me 鈥� it鈥檚 pretty special.鈥�

For More Information

Contact Eric Foushee, senior director of leadership giving and director of athletic fundraising, at 207-755- 5985 or efoushee@bates.edu. Donors making online gifts to the fund should express their designation by writing 鈥淛ames P. Murphy 鈥�69 Scholarship Fund鈥� in the 鈥淎dditional Comments鈥� field on the giving page.

The 乐播传媒 College women’s soccer team will play host to the first round of the 2001 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women’s soccer tournament on Sunday, Oct. 21.

The Bobcats, who can clinch the second seed in the tournament with a win this Saturday against Connecticut College, will host three first-round games this weekend. Teams that have already clinched berths in the conference tournament in addition to 乐播传媒 are Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury and Tufts. Williams has clinched first place in the conference and will host the semifinals and finals on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27 and 28.

If 乐播传媒 earns the second seed, the Bobcats will play the seventh seed Sunday at 11 a.m. Both Colby and Trinity are alive to clinch the seventh berth in the conference championships. Games between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds and the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds will take place at 1:30 p.m. Seeds for those games will be determined by Saturday’s play.

2001 NESCAC Women鈥檚 Soccer Tournament

First round/Sunday, Oct. 21 at 乐播传媒 College

No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed, 11:00 a.m. at Russell Street Field

No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed, 1:30 p.m. at Russell Street Field

No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed, 1:30 p.m. at Leahey Field

Semifinals/Saturday, Oct. 27

At Williams/11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 Williams

Two other first-round winner

Championship/Sunday, Oct. 28

At Williams/12:00 noon

Semifinal winners

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19

• Art Exhibit: Alex Grey’s Numinous Flesh, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Olin Museum of Art.
• Women’s volleyball vs. Rowan College, 6 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium.
• Women’s volleyball vs. Colby College, 8 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

• Art Exhibit: Alex Grey’s Numinous Flesh, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Olin Museum of Art.
• Women’s volleyball vs. Gordon College, 10 a.m. in Alumni Gymnasium.
• Field hockey vs. Trinity College, 11 a.m. at Russell Street Field
• Women’s soccer vs. Trinity College, 11 a.m. at Lafayette Street Field.
• Men’s soccer vs. Plymouth State College, 12 p.m. at Leahey Field
• Football vs. Trinity College, 1:30 p.m. at Garcelon Field
• Women’s volleyball vs. Middlebury College, 3 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium
• Back to 乐播传媒 Fireworks Show, 8:30 p.m. at Garcelon Field

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21

• Art Exhibit: Alex Grey’s Numinous Flesh, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Olin Museum of Art.