Plenty of action has occurred in the last several weeks of Chatham Athletics. Beginning all the way back on Nov. 24, the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) and President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) weekly awards brought in a decent haul for men’s hockey, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.
Monday, Nov. 24
Michael Roby ‘27 claimed the UCHC Player of the Week with his hat trick against SUNY Brockport in a 4-3 win for the Cougars. He also contributed the lone goal in the 1-2 loss in the team’s Saturday matchup.
In the PAC weekly awards, Diaun Pinkett ‘26 and Alyssa Laukus ‘26 brought home the PAC Players of the Week on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively.
Pinkett brings home the award after a two-win weekend for the Cougars, averaging 18 points, 10.5 rebounds and four assists. Laukus earns her Player of the Week award after a 20-minute masterclass against Pitt-Greensburg, where she scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished four assists and gathered five steals in the 97-58 win.
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Women’s basketball received three votes to enter the top-25 poll, before it would face off with Penn State Behrend that evening. The game got off to a hot start for the team, and the team would win 92-52 on the night led by Madison Nereu ‘26, who scored 30 and Laukus who scored 29. The Cougars out-rebounded Behrend by 20 and forced 16 turnovers on the night.
Sunday, Nov. 30
Chatham men’s basketball would defeat Penn State Scranton 99-69 with a massive 65-point second half. With lights out shooting in the second half, the team would land 64% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range. It was led by Lovenson Xavier ‘26, who scored 23 on the night, and a double-double from Jake TenBerge ‘26, who would score 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Monday, Dec. 1
The PAC released its weekly awards, with Xavier bringing in his second consecutive PAC Player of the Week for the men’s team. His 23-point, 8-rebound performance against Penn State Scranton elevated him into the award.
Tuesday, Dec. 2
Women’s basketball received its most votes ever to enter the top-25 poll in program history with 29.
Additionally, Halle Marsalis ‘26 was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region 4th team.
Wednesday, Dec. 3
Both basketball teams traveled to Washington, Pennsylvania, to face off with Washington and Jefferson in the conference opener.
Men’s basketball opened the doubleheader with a 71-86 loss, which saw it fall despite double-doubles from TenBerge (20 points and 11 rebounds) and Xavier (10 points and 10 rebounds). Despite winning the second chance points battle, it would fall to the Presidents.
Women’s basketball would follow against the only other PAC team receiving top-25 votes, where it would fall 52-61 in what was planned to be a rematch of the previous year’s PAC championship game. Hannah Chenault ‘26 would score 18 on the night, and Nereu would score 14 points and haul in 14 rebounds of her own.
Thursday, Dec. 4
Chatham swimming and diving teams announced the arrival of Todd Hillman to the coaching staff as the new dive coach. Hillman joins from Upper Saint Clair High School, where, as the dive coach, he brought the team to back-to-back Western Pennsylvania Interscolastic Athletic League Championship (WPIAL) qualifications.
Friday, Dec. 5
Chatham men’s and women’s hockey opened its double header weekend against Albertus Magnus and SUNY Canton. Men’s hockey came out 5-4 winners in a thrilling contest against Albertus Magnus.
The Cougars opened the scoring through Caden Pendo ‘29 from Nick Cyprian ‘26. The Falcons then responded with a goal of its own to level the score. In the second, the Cougars added two from Charlie Smith ‘29 and Bekk McClaine ‘26. Albertus Magnus scored two of its own to bring it to 4-3 before a power-play goal in the third from Tyler Samodral ‘28 would put it at 5-3. The Falcons did not stop pressuring and scored a fourth late in the game. Cameron Kuntar ‘27 would put up 38 saves on the night for his sixth win on the season.
Women’s hockey would fall 1-3 to the SUNY Canton Roos, with the sole goal coming from Chelsea Clark ‘26 for her first of the year as assisted by Liv McTavish ‘26 and Abby Cunkleman ‘27. Morgan Miller ‘29 would hold the Roos scoreless through the second and third periods, going 30 for 30 on saves.
Men’s squash would face off with Rochester, where it would fall 2-7 on the night, with Abdelrahman Sadek ‘26 and Muhammad Hassaan Raza ‘26 defeating their opponents on the night 3-1 and 3-0.
Indoor track competed in its first event of the year, traveling to Youngstown, Ohio, for the Youngstown State University Ice Breaker Meet. Some highlight event finishers were a 9th-place high jump finish from Najiyah Smith ‘28 and a 35th-place finish for Samantha Guerro-Mendoza ‘28 in shot put.
Saturday, Dec. 6
Men’s and women’s hockey would finish out the weekend with the second matchups against Albertus Magnus and SUNY Canton.
Men’s hockey would fall 2-4 against the Falcons. Cyprian would open the scoring in the first, while Kuntar would hold down the net with eight saves. In the second period, the action intensified with both teams combining for 41 penalty minutes. The Falcons would use the chaos to put itself into a 2-1 lead before Pendo would even it at two. The Falcons climbed forward 4-2 at the end of the second. The Falcons added its fourth and final goal in the third.
Women’s hockey would fall 0-3 in its matchup against the Roos. The Cougars only trailed by one through periods one and two, with Sam Brophy ‘26 holding sturdy in goal, making 39 saves on the night. Despite the effort, the Cougars would allow two goals in the third to finish the game off.
Men’s and women’s squash faced off with Hobart and William Smith to finish off the day. Men’s squash would secure an 8-1 win with all players winning their individual matches. Women’s squash would fall 3-6 to the Herons with Vasundhra Vasanthan ‘26, Sofia Pinto Combita ‘26, and Ta’Niya-Marie Nored ‘26 sweeping their matchups.
Sunday, Dec. 7
Men’s and women’s squash returned to battle Hamilton College. The men’s team would win 6-3 with Sebastian Antonio Vaca Sanchez ‘27, Raza and Alejandro Cruz ‘26 sweeping their opponents. The women’s team would fall 2-7 against Hamilton, with Vasanthan and Combita winning their matches.