Annika Haley ’26

Sports Editor

The Trinity College men’s ice hockey team has built steady momentum during the 2025–26 season, combining balanced scoring with disciplined play as they continue to compete in the challenging NESCAC schedule. Several strong performances, including dominant non-conference wins and competitive in-conference victories has highlighted the team’s development and unity.

The Bantams earned their first victory of the season on Tuesday Nov. 25 with a 6–1 victory over Plymouth State University at the Koeppel Community Sports Center. Trinity controlled the game early by scoring just over three minutes into the first period. Forward Blake Cotton ’29 led the Bantam offense and recorded the first hat trick of his collegiate career, while goaltender Devon Bobak ’26 made an impressive 31 saves. The victory showcased Trinity’s strong offense and defensive structure.

That confidence carried into the new year with a 8–0 shutout against Western Connecticut State University on Sunday Jan. 4 at the Koeppel Community Sports Center. Trinity posted season highs in goals, assists, points, and shots, demonstrating offensive power throughout the lineup. Goaltender Jack Fialkoff ’29 earned his first career victory and shutout, stopping all 17 shots he faced, as the Bantams controlled all three periods of the game.

A defining moment of the season came on Friday Jan. 9, when the Bantams defeated Middlebury College, 5–2, in a NESCAC matchup that marked Head Coach Matthew Greason’s 250th career victory. The Bantams scored late in the first period on the power play and then built their lead by staying composed and capitalizing on transition opportunities. Despite a brief Middlebury rally in the third period, Trinity closed out the game and sealed both the win and a milestone achievement for the program.

Following the victory, Greason reflected on the significance of reaching the 250-win mark after 14 seasons at Trinity. Greason said, “I have a little different view on milestones. Some people like to brush it aside and keep moving on, and to an extent, I do too. But milestones allow me to pause, albeit briefly this time of year, and think about all the players and coaches who worked hard and sacrificed so much to help our program find the win column.”

Building on that perspective, Greason emphasized how the current team embodies the values and expectations that have defined Trinity men’s hockey during his tenure. Greason said, “winning matters. Working hard and finding success is an important development tool for our athletes. Adversity always happens, and we need to deal with that as it comes, but we also need to strive for greatness and find happiness in that when we accomplish what we set out to do. Guys come to our program to win. That’s a huge responsibility for me and for those who wear the jersey.”

Looking beyond individual seasons and results, Greason pointed to the long-term impact of the program as the true measure of sustained success. Greason said, “there is nobody who believes in Trinity College and the life lessons taught through Trinity Hockey more than me. We attack each day trying to maximize our potential on and off the ice. That mindset should lead to wins, but it should lead to long term success long after the final buzzer sounds on their final games. I’ve been fortunate to coach long enough to see the high achievement of our players in their professional life. We have an alumni group filled with driven professionals who carry the lessons learned in the program onto success after. That means more than the wins. Trust me.”

Following Greason’s milestone, the Bantams have continued to fight within the NESCAC, with an overtime win against Colby College on Saturday Jan. 17 and a shootout victory over Middlebury College on Friday Feb. 6.

Ashley McDermott ’26

Executive Sports Editor

The winter athletic teams have returned for their 2025-26 season. The courts, the rink and the pool are all polished, frozen or filled for the incoming practices and games. Here is what to expect this season. 

The basketball program comes back from an intense and successful previous season. Last year, the men’s team cleared NYU in the NCAA Division III final game, reigning as the men’s basketball champions within the division. This was their first ever NCAA championship win, with 64-60 as the final score. They told the Tripod, “We are looking forward to competing with championship level attitude and effort every day. Hopefully we can win games and have fun doing it. We encourage students to come out and support.” They will return to their home court Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.  The women’s team will play their first game at the Ray Oosting Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. after falling to NYU in the second round of the NCAA Championship last season. The women’s team commented, “The Trinity women’s basketball team is really looking forward to the season! In many ways it will be similar to last year since we’re returning with most of our roster, and we already have great chemistry with our new teammates. In other ways it will be a little different because the learning curve at the beginning of this season isn’t as steep now that we’re in year two with our coaches and know what to expect. The NESCAC is always a competitive conference, so we’ll have to be on the top of our game. We can’t wait for the challenge, and we’re so excited to see where the season takes us!”

Men and women’s hockey have skated back onto the Koeppel ice rink. The men’s team fell to Middlebury in the NESCAC quarterfinals. They return on Friday, Nov. 14 at Connecticut College in New London, CT. The women’s team left off in the NESCAC Quarterfinals after losing to Colby College, and will play at home on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.

The squash teams are back on the hardwood, and are taking advantage of the new courts that have been installed in the Scully Center. The men’s team wrapped last season with a loss to University of Pennsylvania in the CSA Semifinals. Their first match will take place at Williams College on Saturday, Nov. 15. The women’s team will pick up at Williams College that same day, after securing the 2025 CSA National Championship over Harvard last season. They told the Tripod, “The squash team is looking forward to an exciting season with five new players and a brand-new facility! We cannot wait to both celebrate and defend our national championship title in the upcoming months. Please join us to celebrate our second title on the 16th of November at the Scully Center!”

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are back in the pool. The men’s captains told the Tripod, “We are excited to get racing, we have a great roster this year. Looking forward to having some success this season!” The women’s captains said, “We’re building off the momentum from last season and have already been working hard in the pool. Hoping to take down some more team records and have the most fun this season, so stay tuned for results starting Nov. 15!” Both teams will travel to their first meet at Skidmore College on Nov. 15.

The wrestling team is also looking forward to a packed season. They hit the mats this Saturday at the Racich Rumble Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Track and field’s senior captain Caitlin Fitzgerald ’26 said to the Tripod, “We are super excited for these upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons of track and field! We have a great group of new talent to develop and a very hardworking group of upperclassmen. We’re looking forward to building a strong & fun team dynamic with everyone!” This season begins on Dec. 7 at Wesleyan University.