Competition and Connection: Rivers Spirit Shines at Homecoming and Alumni Fall Fest 2025

Middle School boys’ soccer kicked things off with a Friday afternoon 2–1 win over St. Sebastian’s in the first of Rivers’ 13 home games and meets between Friday and Saturday. Later that evening, Jason Minicozzi ’26 set Rivers’ new course record with a time of 15:56.6 when boys’ varsity cross country faced Roxbury Latin and Lawrence Academy at Burchard Park. Back on campus that night, varsity field hockey defeated Milton Academy 2–0 under the lights at Davis Field.

Festivities continued on Saturday afternoon, with simultaneous games at Nonesuch Field, Benson Gymnasium, Davis Field, and Baker Field. Other entertainment on campus included face painting, pumpkin decorating, and a visiting petting zoo, which brought chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, and a pig to the lawn next to Haffenreffer. Attendees could also browse faculty art at the Baldwin Family Art Commons in The Revers Center, where work by ceramics faculty member Timothy Clark was displayed, and in the Campus Center’s Bell Gallery, where more visual arts faculty work was displayed. 

A pop-up shop at Davis Field gave attendees the chance to buy the latest Rivers gear, and the nearby Multicultural Programming and Outreach Committee table offered cider donuts and the opportunity to connect with committee members and Jenny Jun-lei Kravitz P’28, director of institutional equity. Families visiting through the Admission Office as part of the two-day SOAR program were also invited to join in the Homecoming festivities. As always, attendees enjoyed the food trucks parked near Davis Field, lining up for grilled cheese, tomato soup, and tater tots from Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and shaved ice from Kona Ice.

Between games, the community took time to honor alumnae of the 1995 varsity girls’ soccer team and the 1995 varsity girls’ cross country team on Baker Field. Thirty years ago, just a few years after Rivers’ Upper School went coeducational in 1989, these teams won the NEPSAC Class C Championships—Rivers’ first NEPSAC Championship wins in girls’ athletics. Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem recognized Paul Karasch, who coached the 1995 girls’ varsity cross country team and still coaches cross country at Rivers today. Dahlem also acknowledged the seven members of the 1995 girls’ varsity soccer team in attendance: Brooke Allen ’97, Celine (Tobey) Blechman ’97, Heather (Black) Ganitsky ’98 P’30, Kristen (Culgin) Nendza ’98, Marissa (Reisman) Semprucci ’96, Johanna Fierman Snyder ’98, and Ash Stanley ’97. “Winning a championship is always challenging, but the fact these women won so quickly after Rivers went coed is remarkable and set the foundation and momentum for much success to follow,” Dahlem commented. 

Varsity football defeated Groton 53–14 under the lights on Saturday night, bringing the weekend’s activities to a close on a high note. “Homecoming weekend brought course records, big wins, high level performances, and amazing crowds to support our programs,” reflected Director of Athletics Kristin Cannon. “What a beautiful weekend for all of our community to embrace Rivers and enjoy all that our campus has to offer. Thank you to everyone who helped organize the weekend and to all members of our community who made the weekend so special!”