As spring nears, Dartmouth Athletics is beginning a new season of competition. With a mix of new and returning players, many of the College’s spring sports teams are reconfigured — last year’s captains have graduated, and first-years are set to begin collegiate play. Every roster is seeking glory. While there are more Big Green teams competing this spring than the ones listed below, these spotlighted few have their only season — or, in the case of tennis, primary season — in the spring.
Women’s Lacrosse:
Head coach: Alex McFadden
Key players: Katina Christensen ’25, Maja Desmond ’25, Fiona O’Keeffe ’27, Gisele Todd ’25
New players: Sarah Caulkins ’28, Madeleine Chun ’28, Emma Goodwin ’28, Charlotte Myers ’28, Kathryn Norton ’28, Kate Riley ’28, Lauren Riley ’28, Sage Stretch ’28, Charlotte Walter ’28
After a 7-7 finish last season, the women’s lacrosse team is seeking to build on its success while improving in conference play, where it finished 1-6. This season, the team is off to a 2-0 start. The squad fended off a comeback by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on Feb. 15 to beat the Minutewomen 12-10. The team also dominated the University of New Hampshire, the Big Green’s in-state rival, 23-4 on Feb. 18.
This year’s roster features several returning stars, including captains Christensen and Florence, who bring experience and leadership. Desmond and Todd are also important players to look out for — each having earned a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team last season — as well as Kendall, who recently set the Ivy League record for most draw controls in a single game. Further bolstering this roster are nine new players.
The team is preparing for a tough schedule, facing Bryant University on Feb. 22 and a quick turnaround against Siena College on Feb. 25. Those two games, though, are a pretext to the Big Green’s matchup against Boston College, the reigning national champions, on March 4. The team’s Ivy League opener will be an away game at the University of Pennsylvania on March 8. McFadden said she anticipates that the opener will be a competitive game, adding that the Ivy League is set up to be an especially strong conference this year. The squad is up to the challenge, though, with the team coming into this year “fearless and ready to compete,” McFadden said.
Men’s Lacrosse:
Head coach: Sean Kirwan
Key players: Nate Davis ’24, Thomas Goguen ’26, Colin McGill ’25
New players: Kevin Bryan ’28, Marco Dzamba ’28, Colin Fagan ’28, Campbell Florence ’28, Alex Jessey ’28, Tyler Juhlin ’28, Harrison Keith ’26, Jackson Monte ’28, Jack Mulholland ’28, Julian Navab ’28, Christian Noriega ’28, Spencer Reagan ’28, Quinn Stankovits ’28, David Sullivan ’28
Men’s lacrosse is seeking to rebound after a tough 2024 season, which saw the team end with a 3-10 overall record and a 0-6 conference record. However, the team has created “a great foundation and a great culture,” according to Kirwan, making it poised to improve. That improvement is already starting to be realized: The team has started this season with a 1-1 record, winning its opener against Bucknell University 13-11 while falling short in its game against UMass 11-7.
With a combination of returning stars and promising players, this year’s edition of men’s lacrosse has plenty of talent. Captains O’Neil, Davis and Azelby are the squad’s tip of the spear. McGill, who led the team in points last year, will be counted on for offensive production, while Goguen, who earned himself a Second Team All-Ivy selection in 2024, will be key to the defense. Morel, the team’s senior goaltender, has also proved crucial to the defense, which has looked impressive through its first two games. The team has added 11 freshmen, two transfers and Harrison Keith ’26, who previously played safety for the Big Green football team, to provide both talent and depth to the roster. The squad looks to face the College of the Holy Cross on Feb. 22.
Softball:
Head coach: Jen Williams
Key players: Jenna Brown ’25, Jensin Hall ’27, Alaana Panu ’25
New players: Brianna Bailey ’28, Marilyn Beauvais ’28, Georgia Bilski ’28, Ava Davis ’28, Anna Marie Fagan ’28, Isabel Kirby ’28, Scarlet Niles ’28, Lindsey Pepe ’28
The softball team came out of the 2024 season successfully — it reached the Ivy Tournament and secured an 18-17 overall record and an impressive 13-7 conference record. The team faces the challenge of making up for the major loss of Mary Beth Cahalan ’24, who led last year’s squad in total bases (67), runs (27), hits (41) and batting average (.369) — a dominating performance that prompted her unanimous All-Ivy First Team selection. At the same time, the team has retained plenty of talent, as Hall and Panu — an Ivy League pitcher of the year and an All-Ivy Second Team selectee, respectively — return. With the addition of several freshmen, the team is primed to make another run in the Ivy Tournament.
Baseball:
Head coach: Bob Whalen
Key players: Jackson Hower ’25, Elliot Krewson ’25
New players: Stefan Di Corrado ’28, Kyle Klaric-Schell ’28, Nate Kugler ’28, Bryce Loeger ’28, Andrew Lombana ’28, Alejandro Puig ’28, Axel Riess ’28, Tyler Sirchia ’28
Dartmouth’s baseball team struggled last season, closing out with a 13-26 overall record and a 7-14 conference record. The campaign was characterized by a pitching staff that struggled to find its rhythm, ending with a combined 8.16 ERA. The roster has also suffered a string of significant losses, including senior outfielder Nathan Cmeyla who, before transferring to Florida State University, led the team in batting average (.350), slugging percentage (.594), total bases (85), RBIs (30) and doubles (12). Right-handed pitcher Drew Koenen ’24, now at the University of Virginia, had been the team’s rookie of the year and ERA leader (4.38). Jack Metzger ’24, who led the Ivy League in saves (6), merely graduated, but the result is the same — the team is down three stars.
To make up for these losses, the team has recruited new players seeking to improve the squad on both ends. To boost the rotation and pen, the team has brought in four new arms as well as Jacob Golder, who will be the team’s new pitching assistant coach. The team has also retained some major stars, such as Krewson, who led the team in hits (51), and Jackson Hower, who was named one of The Richards Group Athletes of the Week last April.
Women’s Tennis:
Head coach: Bob Dallis
Key players: Peyton Capuano ’27, Elizabeth Fahrmeier ’25, Michela Moore ’27
New players: Sam Grosjean ’28, Lauren Han ’28, Elise Wong ’28
The women’s tennis team seeks to continue its success from the fall, having wrapped up a 27-18 record in singles and a 15-6 record in doubles. The team’s key players have improved across the board, stirring plenty of anticipation for this upcoming spring campaign.
Captains Fahrmeier and Ujvala Jupalli ’25 are known for their ability to create an environment where players enjoy the opportunity to represent Dartmouth, Dallis said. Sophomores Capuano and Moore maintain their seven-game undefeated streak in doubles this spring. The team has also gained new talent in Grosjean, Han and Wong, leaving the squad poised to continue its success.
Dallis said balancing Dartmouth’s workload with tennis can at times be challenging for new players transitioning into college. Still, the seniors on the team have “done an outstanding job setting an example,” he said. The team will travel to Charlotte, N.C., this weekend to face Appalachian State University on Feb. 22 and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Feb. 23. Both opponents are expected to prove difficult matches, but the team views these matches as “opportunities rather than challenges,” Dallis said.
Men’s Tennis:
Head coach: Justin DeSanto
Key players: Miles Groom ’26, Carlos Guerrero Alvarez ’25, Henry Ren ’26
New players: Denny Bao ’28, Leo Pade ’28
Dartmouth men’s tennis struggled in the 2023-24 season, ending with a 56-70 record in singles and a 28-33 record in doubles. The team’s difficulties continued this season in the fall; they now stand with a 7-11 record in doubles this school year. However, the team has experienced significant improvements in other areas, currently holding a 32-11 record in singles. That surge has been led by the return of Groom, who has continued his success from last season and is currently 6-2 in singles. The team’s singles success has also been a result of Ren’s impressive 6-1 start, a massive improvement from his 5-16 record last season.
