Hassan Premiere League

A player in bright blue blazes by his opponent, dribbling the soccer ball towards the goal. Five steps later, he sweeps the ball with a brisk kick, and it sails past a diving goalie into the back of the net. Immediately his teammates cheer and huddle up to celebrate. Although this may seem like a typical, competitive soccer game, it is actually one of the many dorm vs. dorm matchups for Exeter’s very own Hassan Premiere League.Lower Jack Farrell formed The Hassan Premiere League, or HPL, at the start of this school year. After seeing dorms organize random matchups against one another on weekend afternoons, Farrell decided to form a group that was competitive and allowed teams to keep track of their progress.“Playing soccer on a sunny Sunday afternoon is a great way of relaxing,” lower Geyang Qin, a member of the Abbot Hall team, said. “Not viewing the result too seriously, HPL is a great activity for building friendship, both inside the dorm and between dorms. On the field, the game sometimes gets intense, but the referee usually judges fairly.”Even though Exonians might be rivals on the field, they are still pals off of it. “After the game, opponents are back to friends again, congratulating each other for the good effort. Including more dorms would definitely make it more fun,” Qin said.Upper Derrick Spencer also touched on the laid back nature of the league. “It is a good way to get to know people. If someone scores a goal it doesn’t matter who scored it— everyone’s going to lose their minds,” he said.Not only does the HPL liven up students’ weekend plans, it also helps Exonians who might not be as athletic get their daily dose of sunshine and physical activity.“It is a good opportunity for kids that either do not play sports or do not play a sport during the given term to get out and be active, and it is also just a fun way to spend the few hours on Sunday when you have a study break,” Spencer said.Ferrell echoed Spencer’s thoughts. “I really do believe the club helps with inner and inter-dorm bonding,” he said. “Especially in Abbot, I love it when kids come out to play soccer that I do not see a lot during the week; it gives me a chance to have fun and spend time with everyone.”Since the league has been such a success for the dorms that participate as of now, Farrell is looking to grow the club in the coming months so that even more Exonian exonians can enjoy the fun.“There are plans to expand this spring to all the boys dorms and houses,” Farrell said. “We originally wanted to go full school, boys and girls, but the logistical challenge of organizing 17 dorms and houses is just too much for this year.”Until then, the current dorms in the HPL are wrapping up their first season. Ewald United and Soule Hall will play each other in the championship game on October 26 to become the first HPL cup holder.“The tournament this fall is a single elimination final four with a championship and third place game,” Farrell said. “The trophy is a tall silver cup, great for drinking celebratory non-alcoholic beverages out of.”