Girls’ Soccer Team Looks Forward to Next Season

Girls’ varsity soccer had a rough season this year, finishing with a record of 5-11-2. However, the year provided great experiences for the talented, young team that improved from the start of the season, pulling off four of their five wins in the second half of the term.

One of the main causes of this team’s struggles was injuries. During one point in the season, five girls were out with concussions from one game. Because of the great number of injuries, players were forced to constantly change formations, which led to lack of focus, especially with about half of the team being lowerclassmen.

But after multiple shifts in positions and bonding experiences, Soxie excelled in the latter half of the season, marking a record of 4-3-2 in their last seven games, including a tie against Andover to finish the season. 

Senior Danielle Sim attributed the improvement in the second half of the season to the team’s increasing determination. “In terms of results, we started out slow, but as a team kept pushing to play harder,” she said. “As one of the returning players, I think we all were determined to make this a strong season and beat some of our rivals, like Andover and Choate, games that weren't successful last season.”

The Andover game turned out to be an exciting and competitive match, despite ending in a tie. The girls made unforgettable memories during one of the most meaningful games, such as the game-tying shot by lower Charlotte Dillon.

“I’ll never forget Charlotte’s goal in the Andover game, which was our only goal. It was an absolutely beautiful shot,” prep Emily Ryan said.

Although they failed to finish with a winning record, the girls still saw the season as a victory in general. Lower Hailey Hudson explained how the tough season helped the team bond and improve their soccer game.

“One might look at our record and see a losing season, but it was a true victory for us,” Hudson said. “We improved so much since the beginning of the season and had great team chemistry both on and off the field. The Soxie family has a bond that can't be broken, and we’re all gonna miss our lovely seniors.”

Prep Daniela Nemirovsky also experienced this team camaraderie first-hand. As a prep, Nemirovsky felt like she was immediately welcomed to the team.

“Our team was really close,” she said. “We bonded a lot during preseason training camp and over the course of the season. The returning players were super welcoming and nice and made the season a lot of fun.”

The team also enjoyed working with the new assistant coach, Alexandra Ellis, a former Exeter graduate from the class of 2009. She worked with head coach Hilary Coder to guide the team in the right direction. The team found Ellis to be both energetic and hard-working and grew very close to her throughout the season.

“Coach Ellis brought an energetic vibe to the team,” lower Michaela Streep said. “We joked around with her a lot, but when it was time to get work done, she knew what to do.”

The team also shared similar memories with their head coach, Coach Coder, who helped guide the team through the ups and downs of the season, sometimes by organizing fun, team bonding events for them like trips to Stillwells.

“[Coach] Coder is an amazing coach,” Dillon said. “She always knows what the team needs, whether it be a little tough love or a team run to Stillwells.”

“Coach Coder opens her arms to everyone and takes great care of us,” Streep added. “The atmosphere at practice and games is happy and encouraging.”

The team’s friendship was not only limited to the field. Ryan recounted a memory where she felt her team’s affection during Assembly.

“One moment I really felt the team love was when we were at assembly. A girl was speaking about a topic related to soccer, and we all sat together in a row on the lower section and I really felt like I had a family there,” she said.

Prep Margaret Coogan felt that the girls’ friendship and chemistry are still resonant, even after the end of their season.  “One thing about the soccer team is that even though we aren’t in season, we are still a big family,” she said. “Every single girl on the team acts as if we are still together every single day.”

This type of chemistry was made in-season by events such as team bonding dinners before every game.

“I mostly remember team dinners the night before every game, which is a long standing tradition of girls’ varsity soccer,” Sim said. “That really helps us come together as a team.”

As the team continues to grow together, they expect more successes to flourish in their future seasons. This year, the team is graduating only four seniors, and will be sure to take advantage of their team’s experience and growth.

“All of us are really excited for next year,” Streep said. 

“All of the returners are going to be great. Not only do we have a talented group, we have a group of hard workers. We’re lucky in that way. It’s so important for a team to be willing to put in the work, and this team does that day in and day out.”

Coogan believed that the team’s hard work led them to a great amount of improvement, which will come in very useful next season. “Throughout the season, we worked in the weight room a few times a week and we did a lot of skill work on the field,” she said. “Our team is quick and we worked hard to be fit and strong on the field.”

Ryan agreed, noting that through their hard work ethic, the team has already greatly improved and is ready to face whatever challenges next year’s season may bring them.

“The important thing about our team is that we are all young; it’s mostly current preps and lowers,” she said. 

“We had a learning year where we grew together and learned how everyone played and I think we have a good sense of what we need to do to win more next year.”