This fall season, the men's soccer team is facing a challenge for the title of most dominant team on campus from an under the radar source - the equestrian team.
On Saturday, the Bears tied for first place in a show at the Mystic Valley Hunt Club in Gales Ferry, Conn., to finish at the top of the show standings for the fourth consecutive competition. The team accumulated 35 points, which equaled Post University's total and was six more than the 29 from the University of Connecticut, the team's primary rival.
The Bears now hold a 30-point lead over UConn in the Region 1 standings, a margin that will carry over to the spring after the fall season ends on Nov. 18.
"It's great to have an early lead," said Emma Bogdonoff '10. "But even though we're doing really great and we're 30 points ahead, a lot of things can change quickly. It's great to have an early lead, but it's important that we keep the momentum."
A rough start to the show almost derailed the team's chances to build on its fall success. Co-captain Whitney Keefe '08, the team's standout rider in the Open division last season, failed to pin in the Open Flat Class.
But slowly Brown began to secure solid results. Allegra Aron '11 and Lucia Corso '08 received first-place ribbons in the Intermediate Flat and Beginner Walk Trot Canter, respectively. Bogdonoff, who was the high point rider in the past two shows while competing at the Novice level, earned another blue ribbon and seven points in her first-ever Intermediate Flat class.
"I just pointed up to Intermediate in flat classes recently," Bogdonoff said. "I was held out (of shows and kept at novice) for nationals last year, so it was definitely exciting to participate in my first intermediate class."
Bogdonoff earned just one point with a sixth-place finish in the novice jumps classes, but the tally allowed her to move up to intermediate jumps for the next show.
Due to strategy, Bogdonoff said, the team held out a number of usual participants, including Brianna Goutal '11 and Irmak Tasindi '08.
"At the beginning of the season we had some really strong novice riders with Irmak and Rachel (Griffith '10 and me)," Bogdonoff said. "I pointed up ... and Irmak basically wins every show she's in, so she'll point up, too. At the beginning of the season we have a lot of people point up, but we have a great group of freshmen to fill in."
But the team was still able to finish first despite the absence of regular contributors. McCall Lewis '08 and Joyce Kwak '08 won the beginner Walt Trot Canter and Walk Trot, respectively, and freshmen Elise Fishelson '11 and Kathryn Eng '11 took home blues as well in their first ever Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competitions.
On Nov. 10, the Bears will travel to Hebron, Conn., for a show. In the meantime, the team will shore up any weaknesses that could hinder its continued dominance.
"(Saturday) wasn't our strongest show," Bogdonoff said, "But it's nice that we still tied for first."
