11/14/24 Highlight: Boys’ Varsity Soccer

Courtesy of Exeter Athletics

By ERIN HAN and JINMIN LEE

For Exeter-Andover games on Nov. 10, the boys’ varsity soccer team traveled to Andover alongside hundreds of spectators to play the last game of their season. Although the team started the game by trailing 0-1, the players stayed strong and tied the game with a 1-1 final score.

Upper Alex Sahinoglu, a player on the team, reflected, “The game went great. We had a lot of chances, and I think we put in a great effort by the team overall. We showed our discipline and hard work during the game and we encountered a lot of challenges and struggles.”

“Our backline was incredibly disciplined, giving Andover a hard time to do much,” added postgraduate Sophian Lovato. “The game was a bit of a back-and-forth for both teams. It definitely was not my best game personally, but as a team, we came together and created some really great chances.”

“I’m so proud of the way that everybody gave a strong fight,” senior Charles Dobbins agreed. “It unfortunately ended up being our last game this season, but we all came off the field knowing that we fought for one another and left everything on the field. I’m most proud of our ability to come back in the face of adversity.”

Dobbins continued, “I want to shout out Finlay Fitch, who plays outside back. He had an opponent on him the whole game, and succeeded in completely locking the opponent up. He saved a lot of goal scoring opportunities, even after he took a really hard elbow to the face.”

Lovato shouted out lower Henry Park, who scored the game’s tying goal. “That was an amazing moment. He’s only a lower and is already a leader on the team. It was a great moment that came along with a spectacular goal.”

Lovato reflected on the boys’ season this year. “I think from the start of the season we all wanted to have a standout year and make a playoff run and win the NEPSAC Class A championship. Although it is hard to swallow that it didn’t turn out how we wanted, I am still incredibly grateful and proud of the team for how we have improved from the beginning of the season.”

He affirmed, “Our team has transformed into one that dominates our opponents, possesses the ball, and puts games away.”