Boys’ Soccer Finishes Off Regular Season with a Tie in a Very Even But Exhilirating Match

Coming off of a 2-6 loss from last year’s fall Exeter/Andover games, Big Red boys’ soccer redeemed itself with a 1-1 tie this past Saturday. Although the squad was not able to continue its four-game winning streak, the tie demonstrated the athletes’ collective effort and energy.

Regarding this year’s opponents, senior co-captain Ted Hart said that Andover’s team did not pressure Exeter’s squad as oppressively as it did in previous years.

“Andover wasn't as strong as they were last year, but they had a couple talented forwards that kept our defense on their toes,” Hart said. “The team did a good job of staying calm and composed during the game because even though E/A is a big deal, we were still playing for something bigger.”

Lower Quintin DiStefano echoed Hart’s sentiments, but also noted that this year, Exeter was in control of the majority of the game.

“Andover was a very skilled team, but they were soft, as we expected. They fell on the second of impact. They weren't as good as last year but were still very good,” DiStefano said. “We did well shutting their offense down—the goal allowed excluded.”

Senior Max Rerkpattanapipat said that Big Red soccer prepared and organized for the E/A match with care and commitment. He added that the team went into the game conscious of the intensity that the game would bring.

“I think we were well prepared for the game against Andover. We knew the weapons they had, and we knew how electric the atmosphere of the game was going to be. Considering how rowdy it was everywhere around the field, our team did a nice job keeping our composure and sticking with the game plan,” he said.

Upper Devin Moore, who scored the only goal for Exeter, said that the biggest and the only challenge the players faced in the game was Andover’s sole striker, who led a strong Andover squad up and down the field.

“They had a very good striker up top and the rest of the team was solid,” Moore said. “We knew what we had to do before the game to stop their best player who makes their whole team go. Last year, they had a couple very good players which was hard to stop, while this year, they really only had one guy to rely on.”

Rerkpattanapipat said that despite the challenge, Moore’s goal boosted the team’s morale and ultimately presented the tie to the team.

“[Devin] had a beautiful play dribbling past many defenders and slipping the ball past the keeper,” Rerkpattanapipat said. “They struck back with about ten minutes left and that is what E/A is all about. Both teams played their hearts out and played very solid games.”

Hart said that although the team was not able defeat its rival, its greatest priority is the upcoming league tournament.

“We want to be the team holding the championship trophy next Sunday, and we needed to look at Andover as just another team in the way,” he said.