Boys' Lax Pushes Deerfield to the Limit, Falls Short in Close Game

Boys’ varsity lacrosse suffered a close 12-10 loss to Deerfield on Saturday. In one of the their most challenging games of their season, Big Red was persistent but unable to defeat Deerfield, a notoriously strong opponent.

The first quarter began with an intensity that remained throughout the rest of the game, as both teams were focused and prepared. Within the first 20 seconds of the game, lower Winston Smith won the faceoff then passed to senior Matt Ryan, who finished lethally to score Exeter’s first goal.

"Deerfield is a really cocky team," upper Cody Rorick said, "and they were surprised that we jumped out to a quick lead." Deerfield was quick to recover, however, and tightened their defense. There was plenty of back-and-forth play and possession, but neither team was able to dominate the game, and the first quarter ended with the teams knotted at four goals apiece.

Deerfield came out firing in the second quarter and outscored Exeter 6-1 in the period. Big Red went into the second half down 5-10, and the boys could not recover from their below-par quarter.

"We outplayed Deerfield in every quarter but the second one. They had two full lines of starting attackmen and we were tired," senior Max Heald said. "They threw a new setup at us, forcing us to adjust, and in the end they capitalized on both of those aspects of our team."

Many teammates agreed that there were several factors to Deerfield’s second quarter dominance. Smith added that simple mistakes and difficult faceoffs played a role, as did the opponent’s constant possession.

Exeter was rejuvenated and returned to the game with strong energy in the second half. Going into the third quarter, the players knew they would have to work even harder than before in order to even the score.

"We showed a lot of heart to cut the five goal deficit down in the second half," senior Dan Mini said, "but unfortunately we couldn’t come all the way back.

Exeter experienced a turnaround on both defense and offense after halftime. Exeter’s lead defensemen, including senior co-captains Chris Keating and Matt Ryan, were excellent around the net. Keating showed his strength, winning ground balls as well as faceoffs, and the defensive line worked hard to send the ball up to the offense. Exeter scored twice and allowed just one goal, and the boys had cut down Deerfield’s lead to four goals by the end of the third quarter, finishing the period with a score of 7-11.

The final quarter was dotted with time-outs and fast action. With seven minutes left, the score was 12-8, Deerfield, and Exeter had called its third time-out. Big Red held possession in Deerfield’s end for most of the following few minutes and slashed the lead to two goals. Deerfield called a timeout to give their players a break from the Exeter onslaught. The score was 12-10, Deerfield, with two minutes remaining, setting up a thrilling finish.

Possession wavered over the next few minutes, and several more time-outs were called. Despite a penalty on the opponent, Exeter was unable to slip another goal in, and the game finished 12-10. Unfortunately, the final score did not reflect Exeter’s dominance for the majority of the game.

"Although the end product wasn’t what we hoped for, I could not be more proud of the way our team played, especially the seniors, who fought their way out and put Deerfield on their heels for the closing period," Smith said.

Exeter enjoyed many outstanding performances at Deerfield. Senior Griffin Cassagne contributed with two major points in the final quarter, and senior Andrew Perkins tallied two goals and an assist.

Senior Stefan Soucy also led the team with his hustle and intensity, especially on defensive turnovers that allowed for great offensive plays. He also chalked up a goal against Deerfield for the second year in a row along with an assist. In the net, senior Colin Delea had an excellent game and made several truly impressive saves towards the end of the game, despite encountering several tricky shots.

"Despite the outcome, the game went well. As a team, we really left our hearts out on the field and gave it everything we had," Mini said. "I’m looking forward to asserting our dominance over Andover and getting a good win in front of our fans and alumni. I hope we can end the season and Coach Bergofsky’s coaching career on a high note."

Exeter was rejuvenated and returned to the game with strong energy in the second half. Going into the third quarter, the players knew they would have to work even harder than before in order to even the score.

"We showed a lot of heart to cut the five goal deficit down in the second half," senior Dan Mini said, "but unfortunately we couldn’t come all the way back.

Exeter experienced a turnaround on both defense and offense after halftime. Exeter’s lead defensemen, including senior co-captains Chris Keating and Matt Ryan, were excellent around the net. Keating showed his strength, winning ground balls as well as faceoffs, and the defensive line worked hard to send the ball up to the offense. Exeter scored twice and allowed just one goal, and the boys had cut down Deerfield’s lead to four goals by the end of the third quarter, finishing the period with a score of 7-11.

The final quarter was dotted with time-outs and fast action. With seven minutes left, the score was 12-8, Deerfield, and Exeter had called its third time-out. Big Red held possession in Deerfield’s end for most of the following few minutes and slashed the lead to two goals. Deerfield called a timeout to give their players a break from the Exeter onslaught. The score was 12-10, Deerfield, with two minutes remaining, setting up a thrilling finish.

Possession wavered over the next few minutes, and several more time-outs were called. Despite a penalty on the opponent, Exeter was unable to slip another goal in, and the game finished 12-10. Unfortunately, the final score did not reflect Exeter’s dominance for the majority of the game.

"Although the end product wasn’t what we hoped for, I could not be more proud of the way our team played, especially the seniors, who fought their way out and put Deerfield on their heels for the closing period," Smith said.

Exeter enjoyed many outstanding performances at Deerfield. Senior Griffin Cassagne contributed with two major points in the final quarter, and senior Andrew Perkins tallied two goals and an assist.

Senior Stefan Soucy also led the team with his hustle and intensity, especially on defensive turnovers that allowed for great offensive plays. He also chalked up a goal against Deerfield for the second year in a row along with an assist. In the net, senior Colin Delea had an excellent game and made several truly impressive saves towards the end of the game, despite encountering several tricky shots.

"Despite the outcome, the game went well. As a team, we really left our hearts out on the field and gave it everything we had," Mini said. "I’m looking forward to asserting our dominance over Andover and getting a good win in front of our fans and alumni. I hope we can end the season and Coach Bergofsky’s coaching career on a high note."