Girls' Hockey Puts Up a Tough Fight Against Strong Deerfield Team

EXETER, NH – This week, girls’ varsity hockey prepared for one of their toughest games of the season. Deerfield has always been a rival of the girls’ varsity hockey team, and whatever Deerfield brought, Big Red had to bring two times more. This was exactly the mindset the girls’ varsity team had throughout each period of the game.Upper Marley Jenkins said, “We played well as a team and started out the first period strong, scoring the first goal within 5 minutes.”Maintaining control for the first and second period, the team continuously worked together well. Jenkins said, “We had a good offensive zone forecheck and defensive zone breakout.”This was maintained evenly as each line gave it their all. Their progression throughout the game was evident. “The last couple of shifts of each period we played with much greater intensity than the rest of the game,” prep Bonnie Labonte said, which kept the scoreboard even.When the third period began, the game shifted, and the girls dropped their play, resulting in Deerfield gaining momentum. Exeter continued to rise to the challenge, holding off the Deerfield offense, and before they knew it, the puck was dropped in overtime. The girls wanted the win now more than ever.“Fueled by our streak of recent losses, we wanted to come away with this win,” Jenkins said.Unfortunately, Deerfield left the ice with another win under their belt, scoring off a rebound lower Allegra Grant had saved. “Allegra had a great game in goal the whole time and made a lot of key saves,” Jenkins said, which definitely helped Exeter keep their hold against Deerfield.Reflecting on the game, lower Lexi Butler said, “In the future we need to keep the momentum up throughout the game, especially in the third period. The third should be our best. That’s what wins close games.”The team knows most of their games will be tough, and keeping their physical state in check is crucial.“We need to pick up sticks better in front of the net and stop watching the puck when they have it in our defensive zone,” Butler said.The girls’ offensive forechecking has been impressive, and the team agrees it showed well in this game.“If we played with urgency without rushing for the majority of the game we would’ve generated more offense,” Labonte said, which, against a team like Deerfield, can make it or break it.Girls’ hockey plays Noble and Greenough School this Saturday at home, looking to rebound from their current losing streak.