Ari Bezanson is in the top 10 in goals scored nationally.

The game was down to the final 10 minutes, with the Raiders trailing Loyola Maryland by a goal, when Ari Bezanson ’26 blasted a shot past the goalkeeper and into the top left corner to tie the match and help Colgate secure a much-needed point at home.

A week later, in a game against American, Bezanson struck again — this time by scoring two goals in a 3-1 victory. And the week after that, she tallied another goal.

Scoring on a regular basis has become commonplace for the midfielder and economics major from Danvers, Mass. After scoring seven goals in her first two seasons, Bezanson is having a breakout year with 12 goals, which leads the Patriot League and puts her in the top 10 for goals scored nationally. As of Wednesday, she was tied for seventh in the country. 

Her 25 points on the season ties her for first in the conference.

Bezanson said she has matured significantly on the field, and it has made a substantial difference in her performance. Plus, the team earlier this season changed to a 3-6-1 formation that has given her a bigger role in the offense.

“I have definitely grown as a player since I’ve been here,” she said. “It has been fun growing with this team. We play a completely different way than we did in the past. The style has changed.”

As a sophomore, Bezanson led her team in goals (7), points (15), and shots (29), and made the First Team All-Patriot League and the Patriot League Honor Roll. 

Heading into the 2024 season, her goal was to continue to improve. She has certainly done that, although now she hopes for a strong finish to the regular season and a playoff bid.

Bezanson puts one past the Loyola goalkeeper to tie the game in the final minutes.

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Raiders are in the thick of a playoff hunt with a handful of other teams packed closely together in the standings. Each game’s result could be the difference between moving on or packing up for the season.

As the season has progressed, Colgate has grown as a team and relied on several first-years to log major minutes. Chemistry within student-athletes took time, and in the process bonds were developed that have only made the team better.

For Bezanson, growing with the team has only made the experience even more fulfilling. 

“As I’ve been getting older, my role in the team has changed. The way the team connects with one another, our personnel, that has also changed drastically since I was a first-year. I have grown into a more offensive role this season, especially in our formation.”

For two seasons, Bezanson learned from the veterans on the team. Now as a junior, she’s embracing the opportunity to be a leader.

“When I was a first-year, there were a lot more upperclassmen on the team who I looked up to,” she said. “Now that I’m an upperclassman on the team, that’s part of my role. Underclassmen look up to me.”

Women’s soccer head coach Lyndse Hokanson applauded Bezanson for being an exemplary all-around student-athlete.

"Ari was committed to Colgate before my time here,” Hokanson said. “I was fortunate that she and her family — though she was young — chose Colgate for all of the components it would bring for Ari's college experience. For all that Ari brings on the field, she is also a really committed and talented student. She exemplifies what it means to be student-athlete. 

“On the field, Ari is definitely special. What has been most fun for me and my staff is seeing all of the growth Ari has had this year. She has not only embraced her role as a standout performer in this league, but has grown as a teammate and leader within our team. She has continued to challenge herself and take her game, and our program, to new heights. 

Hokanson credited assistant coach Haley Hillard for challenging Bezanson to continue improving. 

“Great players make you better coaches, constantly challenging you to think, progress, and evolve,” she said. “I think Haley has done an amazing job mentoring Ari as a midfielder and pushing her to be the best player that she can be. I am excited to continue to watch her grow and see what she can accomplish this year and beyond."

Colgate recruited Bezanson, who knew she wanted to become a Raider the moment she first stepped on campus. It wasn’t until her second season that she had finally adjusted to collegiate soccer. 

Another important step in her progression as a player involved learning how to balance athletics with schoolwork. Not only did she have to adapt to Colgate’s demanding curriculum, she had to make soccer a daily part of her life. 

That was a big change from her high school days, when she played for a club soccer outside of Boston that met only a few times a week.

“In my club experience, we didn’t see each other everyday,” she said. “But here, it’s more of a family. College soccer has become part of my whole lifestyle. It’s almost like a job that you love to do.”

While Bezanson used any available time to study, watching the veterans on the team juggle soccer and academics taught her how to be a better student-athlete.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned since my first year has been how to become independent with balancing athletics and academics, and balancing all the relationships with my teammates and coaches,” she said.

Bezanson is studying economics, although she’s narrowed her focus to mathematical economics. She interned last summer at Pathstone, a wealth management firm in Boston, and wants to continue that line of work when she graduates. 

And as she completes her degree, she looks forward to many more special moments with the soccer team.

“It has been really fun getting to play with so many people,” she said. “Everyone on this team has made it a special environment.”