Early Mishaps Hurt Exeter, as Boys' Soccer Falls to Big Blue 2-6 to Wrap Up Season

EXETER – Boys’ varsity soccer duked it out with the Big Blue squad last Saturday during their E/a match, only to come out with a disappointing 2-6 loss. Andover came into the game undefeated, but with Exeter on the tail of a hot streak, they hoped to cast aside the stats and pull off an upset in front of a packed stadium. While they may have lost, the Big Red squad finished off the season with an impressive 9-7-2 record, just shy of .600 win percentage.Some key wins of the season came later on, when all the players on the team really bonded together and began to play as a solid unit instead of a collection of skilled individuals. By the end of the year, all the players knew each other well and meshed together to mount a winning streak.“We’ve definitely grown better as a team and as a whole, the team chemistry has increased, and we know where people have tendencies to go to on the field now,” upper Alex Cantave said. “And that just comes with playing with people for an entire year.”Arguably the turning point of the season was when the team improved to .500 with a win over a very tough Deerfield team. With upper Ted Hart’s two-goal performance and the second consecutive game with the same, solidified lineup, Exeter was able to begin the stronger half of their season and finish ahead of the pack.Another memorable moment from the season was the tailgate game against Bridgton Academy. Bridgton, an all-PG school, was obviously more conditioned than the Exeter lineup. However, good technique and teamwork prevailed, and under the Saturday-night lights, Big Red notched their final win of the season.While the E/a game wasn’t a victory, the season was a success, and we look forward to another strong year from varsity soccer.