Soxie Takes Tough Loss Versus Tabor

MARION, MA - Despite their strong performance, Big Red girls' soccer suffered a scathing 0-3 loss against Tabor Academy on Saturday, putting a stop to their four-game unbeaten streak. Although Exeter went into the game hoping to pull off the same close win like last year, Big Red could not stop the undefeated Tabor Academy.Similar to previous games this season, Big Red’s strong defense played an integral role in Saturday’s game, blocking shots and creating turnovers for more opportunities. However, Exeter ended up conceding all three goals to free kicks and set plays.Senior co-captain Danielle Sim said that the offense could not create scoring opportunities for themselves because of strong opposition from Tabor’s defense.“We didn't get that many shots because we tried working the ball up the middle, which was stopped by Tabor’s defense,” Sim said. “We need to work the ball more on the sides, faster movement of the ball from side to side, stepping to the ball, and denying passes when we can.”Upper Hannah Fuller said that despite giving up three goals, the defense could not stop these goals against Tabor’s swift free kicks.“All of their goals were scored off of set plays, penalty kicks and direct kicks, so there wasn't a lot that the defense could do to change the outcome of those situations,” she said.Big Red’s mental game against Tabor also contributed to the team’s loss.“Playing Tabor has always been a battle, but I think we overestimated them. We came out thinking they were much better than us, but once we changed our attitude we played a lot better,” Fuller said.“I think we could have played much better for the whole game if we had had a stronger mindset.”Although Exeter suffered a defeat, players remained optimistic about the progress that the team made throughout the season and for its future.“We’ve grown a lot as a team. We now have more confidence, and our team has been more cohesive connecting passes together and our defense,” Sim said. “Marking and communication have also gotten a lot better.”Throughout this rebuilding season, Big Red has been working towards getting off to a good start in games and putting their opponents on the back foot from the first whistle.“Focusing on having a stronger first half has been really helpful. In addition, using the wings and the whole width of the field will give us many more options for ways to score,” Fuller said. “I hope that what we’re working on right now will manifest itself in good results for the rest of the season.”The girls will host Worcester Academy on November 2, and they will hope to gain some valuable momentum against the Hilltoppers and during a visit to New Hampton before their pivotal game against archrivals Andover on E/a Weekend.