While many activities and events are just beginning as students return to campus, the fall athletic teams are in full swing, preparing for another season filled with classic rivalries and unforgettable matchups.

The first game is today, when the women’s soccer team (0–0–0; 0–0–0 NESCAC) takes on a major rival, the Colby College Mules (0–0–0; 0–0–0 NESCAC). Last season, the Polar Bears suffered a 0–1 loss to the Mules, but they are coming back to compete this season with a new sense of desire and grit.

“We have chips on our shoulders,” Mary Rainey ’27 wrote in an email to the Orient. “Our sophomores now have emotions connected to certain teams, which always helps with competition and makes the stakes in the games exciting.”

Looking forward to the rest of the season, the women’s soccer team has a schedule packed with conference matchups, which will test the team’s resolve and prepare them for the postseason.

“The NESCAC is really competitive,” Grace Harvey ’27 wrote in an email to the Orient. “Most games can go either way on any given day, so it will come down to who shows up ready to compete.”

Last season, the women’s soccer team had their season ended in the NESCAC quarterfinals in a 0–3 loss to Williams College. This year, the team is hoping to go farther into the postseason by working hard and having confidence amid adversity.

“We are aiming for a championship season,” Rainey wrote. “We are building off the success from last year and hopefully will surpass what we’ve done in the past.”

On Saturday, September 26, the men’s football team (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) will host their first matchup of the year against conference opponent Middlebury College (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC). During training, the team has worked hard to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared for each game this season.

“We have put countless hours on the field, in the weight room and studying film to get ready for this season,” Ty Connolly ’27 wrote in an email to the Orient. “We need to be completely bought in as one team, with one common goal.”

Other notable games for the team come at the end of the season, where they will host rivals Bates College (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) and Colby College (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) on November 7 and 14, respectively. These games will help determine the winner of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) trophy, which is currently held by Colby College.

“We have a lot of experienced players returning that will be entertaining to watch,” Connolly wrote. “Not only are the games fun, but we have great food after every game, thanks to the many parents we are lucky to have supporting us.”

Other upcoming first home competitions of the season include men’s soccer (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) hosting Salve Regina University (0–1) on September 5 at 3:30 p.m., women’s golf hosting the Bowdoin Invitational on September 12 and volleyball (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) hosting the University of Southern Maine (1–0) on September 16 at 6:00 p.m. On September 19, cross country hosts the Maine State Meet and field hockey (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) hosts Wesleyan University (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) at 11:00 a.m., and women’s rugby (0–0; 0–0 NESCAC) hosts West Chester of Pennsylvania (0–0) on September 26 at 11:00 a.m.