Oberlin’s lacrosse and tennis teams celebrated their senior athletes in memorable Senior Day displays of recognition and appreciation this past weekend. Amidst an atmosphere charged with emotion, the Oberlin community gathered to recognize the seniors who have demonstrated the true essence of Oberlin athletics — resilience, teamwork, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Their dedication was evident in every play, inspiring teammates and spectators alike; with many teams finding outstanding success on their home turf.

Women’s Lacrosse

In an emotional tribute to their eight seniors, the women’s lacrosse team delivered an impressive performance, securing a decisive 15–12 victory against Wittenberg University Saturday evening. This triumph not only marked the team’s first North Coast Atlantic Conference win of the season, but also elevated their overall record to 5–10. The fourth-year honorees, Maya Blevins, Becca Galbraith, Martha Hays, Audrey Koren, Caroline Lee, Abbie Patchen, Emily Shimabukuro, and Kaela Wilson, excelled on Saturday, showcasing their skills as their senior season draws to a close.

“It was a really special celebration with the entire team, so I’m happy we were able to spend time together and have a great team win,” Lee said. “I don’t think it has hit me that my lacrosse career is ending since I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember, but I know I have great memories with this team that I will cherish forever.”

The senior Yeowomen demonstrated their talents throughout the game; Shimabukuro had a career-high performance, finding the back of the net with six goals. Audrey Koren contributed with a goal and two assists, while defender Kaela Wilson added two points to the scoreboard. Abbie Patchen, the team’s leading scorer, made her presence felt with a goal and an assist, while Caroline Lee chipped in with an assist and two ground balls.

The game saw momentum swings, with Oberlin responding resiliently to Wittenberg’s challenges. After the first half came to a close at 8–7 in favor of the Tigers, the Yeowomen surged ahead in the third quarter, scoring five goals by the middle of the third quarter to establish a commanding lead. The team’s well-rounded attack found their stride with each of the seven goals in this period being scored by different players. Despite a late push from Wittenberg, the Oberlin defense held firm in the final quarter, securing the victory with a stellar defensive effort led by first-year Olivia Mohel, third-year Lauren Mills, and third-year Alexis Escobedo.

In the goal, Galbraith started the game and made a crucial save. Galbraith has been recovering from an illness for most of the season. 

“I feel bittersweet a lot about this, because I’m sad and nostalgic for the time I’ve spent and the connections I’ve made on the team,” Galbraith said. “My team was like a second family to me, especially our senior class. We’ve been through many ups and downs as our team has evolved — I’ll miss our collective experiences. However, the ending of this chapter is just the beginning of another.”

Second-year Janny McCormick then stepped in and recorded 13 saves, along with three ground balls. Seniors Blevins and Hays provided crucial support on defense, with Blevins snagging three ground balls and two caused turnovers, while Hays made a significant impact on the draw control.

In the end, the celebration was a fitting tribute to their graduating class, showcasing their talent, resilience, and unity as they secured a memorable victory to mark the occasion. The Yeowomen will finish their season at The College of Wooster Saturday. 

Men’s Lacrosse

In a heartfelt pregame ceremony, the men’s lacrosse team paid tribute to its six graduating seniors: Ryan Blasberg, Leander Herman, Aidan Loh, John McDonnell, Christian Pfennig, and Alex Thompson. With the stands full of family and friends, the Yeomen set the stage for a dominating 19–7 victory over the visiting Wabash College Little Giants. This win brings their overall record to 9–6, with a 3–4 standing in the NCAC. Despite the absence of the injured Loh, the Oberlin seniors led the charge with outstanding performances, contributing significantly to the team’s victory. 

McDonnell echoed similar remarks to Galbraith’s and Lee’s. 

“It’s been a journey with lots of ups and downs,” McDonnell said. “I think that my experience on the team has really made me the person I am today, and I’ll always cherish the friends who were a part of some of those great memories. It’s bittersweet — I’m excited for the next chapter. I’m glad that my experiences with the team have helped prepare me for this next chapter.”

Blasberg spearheaded the attack, racking up four goals and three assists to reach the impressive milestone of 100 career goals. Herman also showcased his skills with two goals in the second half, one coming a mere 100 seconds after entering the game. McDonnell contributed with a face-off win and a ground ball, while Thompson anchored the defense, putting up a solid display at the top. Three-time team captain Pfennig showcased his defensive prowess with two ground balls and a caused turnover. 

From the onset, Oberlin asserted control, scoring four of the first five goals. Although Wabash remained within striking distance for much of the first half, Oberlin’s offensive firepower proved too much to handle. The Yeomen surged ahead, building a 7–3 lead by halftime and extending their dominance in the third quarter, outscoring Wabash 8–2 to seal the victory. The last home game of the season saw many exciting firsts for the Yeomen, including a first career goal for first-year Andrew Rosa, first goal of the season for third-year Aidan Johnston, and a thrilling first-career goal for starting defender, third-year Jonas Taylor-Lillquist.

The Yeomen played outstandingly across the board with first-year standout Christian Tacogue matching Blasberg’s four-goal performance and adding two assists, while third-year Sam Ryu netted a hat-trick, contributing significantly to Oberlin’s commanding victory. The season leader in goal-scoring, second-year Solomon Brennan, took an impressive seven shots, racking up four points with one goal and three assists. 

With this dominant win, men’s lacrosse celebrated their seniors in style, highlighting their talent and teamwork as they seek to end the season strong in their conference closer at Depauw University Saturday.

Women’s Tennis

Amidst touching farewells to senior standout Amelia Bronfman, the women’s tennis team commenced their final home match of the regular season with a 6–3 loss to Ohio Wesleyan University in a Senior Day matchup Sunday. 

Bronfman had mixed feelings about playing  the last home match of her college career.

“I would say [the match] was definitely bittersweet,” Bronfman said. “I feel like I’ve come a really long way in my college career and so I’m really proud of what me and my team have done, especially this season since we’re such a young team.”

The day’s competition began with the doubles matches, where Oberlin struggled to recover from an early deficit. In her farewell appearance on home turf, Bronfman partnered with second-year Lydia Zafeiri in the no. 2 match. Despite their resilience, they fell to a determined performance from Ohio Wesleyan’s Frankie Nuss and Lily Hershey, ending with an 8–3 loss. Simultaneously, second-year Moe Ariyoshi and first-year Robyn Gurujal encountered formidable opposition in the no. 3 doubles match, suffering an 8–0 defeat against Evaleigh Garnett and Riley Brokaw.

Oberlin sought to regain momentum as third-year Anna Pastore and first-year Freya Rahm secured Oberlin’s sole doubles point with a commendable 8-5 victory over Ohio Wesleyan’s top pairing of Kaitlyn Quinn and Shanzay Ali. 

As the singles matches unfolded, the Yeowomen showed their determination, yet Ohio Wesleyan proved to be a difficult opponent. Pastore engaged in a hard-fought battle against Ali in the top spot, winning the first set 6–2 but ultimately falling short in a closely contested match. Conversely, Zafeiri showcased dominance in the no. 2 match, delivering an impeccable 6–0, 6–0 victory over Quinn.

Although Rahm fought valiantly through the first set, she couldn’t sustain her momentum, ultimately conceding to Nuss in a 6–4, 6–0 defeat. Bronfman, in her final singles match at home, displayed unwavering determination and skill, concluding her collegiate career on a high note with a remarkable 7–6 (3), 6–2 victory over Hershey. Lastly, in the no. 5 and no. 6 singles matches, Ariyoshi and Gurujal displayed resilience but were ultimately outplayed by their Ohio Wesleyan counterparts, both succumbing to 6–0, 6–0 defeats.

While the day ultimately concluded in defeat for the Yeowomen, it served as an occasion to bid farewell to Bronfman and celebrate her remarkable contributions to the team throughout her collegiate career.

Although she will no longer be an active team member, Bronfman expressed excitement about the team’s future.

“I think that even though the team is really young, that just means that there’s all the more potential for the future,” Bronfman said. “I’m really excited to see how much we can do in the coming years. I’ll be cheering them on even more.”

Men’s Tennis

The men’s tennis team had a very successful senior day as they ended their five-game losing streak and swept 9–0 against the visiting Wittenberg University Tigers. Before the matches commenced, the team paid tribute to fourth-year standout Rohan Gold in a heartfelt ceremony. This boost in emotion and determination propelled the Yeomen to a decisive, dominating win.  

“I felt that it was a good experience for me and for the team,” Gold said. “We’ve had a couple of close losses in previous weeks, so it felt good to have a really dominant win. In terms of senior day, it was good being able to play in front of my mom and other parents of kids on the team. We all played well together and we started off on a good note. We held our senior day ceremony before we started playing, so we felt that we could get the emotions out of the way and focus on winning.”

The doubles matches set the tone for Oberlin’s commanding performance with three decisive wins to open the match. Oberlin’s top pairing, third-year Sebastien Naginski and second-year Shawn Lisann, earned an 8–3 victory in the first flight. Gold, alongside first-year Zain Makada, secured another point for Oberlin with an impressive 8–3 victory over Sven Eerenbeemt and Mark Trinka at no. 2 doubles. Second-year James Foster and first-year Ben Tichauer completed the doubles sweep with an 8–2 win in the third flight.

As singles action got underway, Oberlin showed no signs of letting up, maintaining their momentum with a series of dominant performances. Naginski wasted no time in securing the team’s first singles point with a commanding 6–0, 6–2 victory over Jacob Bennett in the no. 3 match. Gold, in his final Senior Day appearance, delivered a memorable performance, clinching the win for Oberlin with a superb 6–1, 7–5 triumph over Ethan Libby in the no. 1 singles match.

Lisann continued Oberlin’s win streak with a 6–2, 6–2 victory over Trinka in the no. 2 match, while Tichauer showcased his resilience by saving three set points and rallying to a 7–5, 6–2 win over Eerenbeemt in the no. 4 spot. Makada displayed his prowess with a dominant 6–2, 6–0 victory over Henry Smith-Heston in the no. 5 position, and Foster capped off the day with a 6–0, 6–0 win over Andrew Garofoli in the no. 6 match, sealing Oberlin’s resounding 9–0 triumph.

The men’s tennis team now has a 7–11 overall record for the season, with a two-win streak, bringing their conference record to 2–5.