Not only does the impending threat of frost bring freezing temperatures, it also signals the beginning of a new Chatham University season: winter sports.
This year, men’s basketball is looking to go even further than last year where it made a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament first round appearance. Women’s basketball aims to make its 4th consecutive finals appearance as men’s ice hockey opens its season with back-to-back wins, and swimming and diving, indoor track and fields and squash adjust to recent coaching changes.
Here is a full preview on some of these winter teams as their seasons begin to ramp up.
Men’s basketball
Coming off the success of the 2024-25 season, Chatham men’s basketball aims to go even higher than the massive success of their 23-5 record that led to a conference tournament championship and an NCAA first-round appearance.
The program faces the loss of four seniors including Simon Boyer ‘25, the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer. However, they will be led by several great returners such as guard Diaun Pinkett ‘26, the 2024-25 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Player of the Year, a two-time all-region selection, and a two-time All-PAC selection. Another highlighted returner is senior guard Lovenson Xavier ‘26, the first-team All-PAC selection last season.
They are bolstered by eight new team members and they will be led by new head coach Brian Baudinet, who joins the program from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he served as an assistant coach from 2022 to 2025.
They seek to open well as they play at Carnegie Mellon on Nov. 11. The team will also honor the PAC championship on Nov. 22 against the University of Lynchburg and open up conference play on Dec. 3 at Washington & Jefferson.
Women’s basketball
Head Coach David Saur enters his 8th season with the Cougars, hoping to build on three consecutive PAC tournament finals appearances including a 2023-24 championship win over Geneva College. The team will be without former guard Ashlie Louden ‘25, the former three-time All-PAC first teamer and one of six Cougars to cross the 1000 point marker.
The team carries many strong returners including senior forward Alyssa Laukus ‘26, the former PAC Newcomer of the Year and a two-time All-PAC honorable mention as well as senior guard Hannah Cenault ‘26, the All-PAC honorable mention from the previous season.
The Cougars are coming off of an impressive 21-6 (17-3 PAC) season in 2024-25, in which they achieved the 3rd overall seed in the conference tournament before falling in the final 50-59 against Washington & Jefferson.
Bolstered by 14 new team members, the Cougars opened the season strong against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on Nov. 8 and will open PAC play on Dec. 3 against Washington & Jefferson, aiming to avenge their previous meeting in the conference final last season.
Men’s ice hockey
Men’s ice hockey opened its season with back-to-back wins over Hiram and St. John Fisher on its way to winning the Buffalo State Tournament.
Last season also featured highlight wins over two ranked teams, including #3 SUNY Geneseo and a shootout win over #2 Utica. The previous season would end in the UCHC semifinals, where the team fell to Utica.
The team also received a vote to enter the top 15 rankings in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO), the program’s first time. The team is coming off a 10-15-2 season in 2024-25.
The team aims to build on last season’s success on the wings of senior forward Nick Cyprian ‘26, the all-time leader for the Cougars in many categories, including career points (77), goals, assists and single-season goals.
Cyprian was also the 2024-25 United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Player of the Year, a 1st Team All-UCHC selection and a finalist for the Sid Watson award, which is given to the top player in NCAA Division III hockey. Another high-end returner is sophomore forward Tyler Samodral, the UCHC All-Rookie selection.
The team continues into UCHC play on Nov. 14 and 15 with a double header against Nazareth.
Women’s ice hockey
Chatham women’s ice hockey is coming off a 2-21-2 (0-12-0 UCHC) 2024-25 season where it fell short in the semifinals of the UCHC playoffs against Nazareth.
The team was picked to finish 7th in the UCHC, and Head Coach Mike O’Grady enters his 7th season with the team, looking to bounce back and push for some regular-season success.
Three Cougars were selected as players to watch in this upcoming UCHC season, including senior goaltender Sam Brophy ‘26, senior forward Liv McTavish ‘26 and a member of last season’s UCHC All-Rookie team, Klara Miuller ‘27.
The team graduated just six players but brought in 14 new additions in order to bolster the squad for this upcoming season.
The Cougars have begun the season with two losses to Lebanon Valley, but look to continue through UCHC play when they open up at Albertus Magnus on Nov. 14 and 15 respectively.
Indoor track and field
With first-year Head Coach Conlan Burd at the helm, the track and field team will open its season in Youngstown, Ohio, for the Youngstown State University Ice Breaker meet to kick off the indoor season on Dec. 5.
The team will look to build on strong performances from several athletes this upcoming season, such as thrower Elizabeth Martz ‘26, who placed 8th in shot put and 16th in weight throw during the 2024-25 PAC Indoor Championships. Thrower Sarah Yannayon ‘26 placed 11th in weight throw and 15th in shot put in the previous indoor championships, and sprinter Demetrius Broadnax ‘27, who placed 6th in the 400m and 18th in the 200m at last year’s championships.
With each of them aiming to replicate and improve upon last year’s successes, the team will compete in five meets before the PAC championships, which will see the team return to Youngstown on Feb. 26 and 27.
Swimming and diving
New head coach Morgan Soulia enters her first season as the head of the swimming and diving teams here at Chatham University, where the women’s team is predicted to finish 5th in the PAC and the men’s team is predicted to finish 6th.
The teams both return many strong performers from last year, including several medalists and high finishers from the 2024-25 PAC championships. For the women’s team, it will build off the success of sophomore Hannah Uhrinek, who medalled in three events last season, winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter fly races and finishing 2nd in the 200-meter freestyle. As well, they bring back senior Carly Sagerser, who acquired two pieces of silverware last season, finishing 3rd in the 1-meter diving finals and 2nd in the 3-meter dive, and sophomore Alayna Kercher, who brought home the bronze medal in the 1650-meter freestyle, finishing in 3rd in the event.
The men’s team also holds several strong returners looking to move into medal places this season. These include junior Caleb Trainum, who finished 6th in the 100-meter fly and 8th in the 200-meter fly last season, and sophomore Cal Hockman, who finished 5th in the 200-meter freestyle and 6th in the 100-meter backstroke. The team made the point of highlighting the impressive performance of its 200-meter relay team comprised of Cal Hockman, Ethan Hopkins, Brady Gardner and Max Rollins.
Both teams have opened up the season 1-3with wins over Bethany College on Oct. 25. They will continue with PAC competition on Nov. 15, building onwards to the PAC championships from Feb. 18 through Feb. 21.
Squash
Chatham’s men’s and women’s squash teams will be led this year by new Head Coach Yuri Franca. Franca joins the programs from Amherst College, after a full year of the teams operating with no official head coach.
Both teams are coming off of successful seasons where they found themselves with medal opportunities in the College Squash Association team championships.
The women’s team fell short in the 3rd place game, where they were defeated despite the efforts of Vasundhra Vasanthan ‘26, Clara Braga ‘27 and Isabela Campos ‘28. All three won their matchups, with Vasanthan and Braga sweeping their opponents. The team was down four players for this matchup, but will return both the senior Vasanthan and junior Braga for this upcoming season.
On the men’s side, the team will want to repeat its success as it came from the 4th seed to claim the Summers Cup. In this squash team championship, Abdelrahman Walid Sadek ‘26 and Alejandro Cruz ‘26 swept their opponents, and Sebastian Antonio Vaca Sanchez ‘26, Agustin Carranza ‘26, and Lucas Oliveira ‘25 all defeated their opponents to bring the Men’s team its first-ever team trophy.
The men’s team also returns a large portion of this title-winning side, with seniors Vaca Sanchez, Carranza, Cruz and Sadek returning for this upcoming season.
Both teams have opened up their 2025-26 seasons already, squaring off in losses to the University of Virginia.
They will continue on their play with their next matchup against St. Lawrence at Steel City Squash before traveling to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to square off with Dickinson in the first of five matchups as a part of the Pennsylvania state championships.