Girls’ Soccer Suffers Tough Defeat at the Hands of Choate
The Exeter girls’ soccer team suffered a tough loss this past Saturday at the hands of Choate Rosemary Hall. While the girls’ squad put up a valiant effort, the Choate team proved too much for Big Red, and the final score had Exeter down at 5-0.
This game proved disheartening for many team members; however, each and every player gave their all throughout the game. “The game was definitely frustrating,” upper Hannah Gustafson said. “Everyone worked hard, and there was no questioning anyone's effort. So losing five to zero was disappointing.”
The girls trained hard leading up to the game and will continue to do so following the loss. This game revealed several weaknesses in the team’s strategy, and the squad plans to improve the chinks in their armor.
“The team performed well in terms of individual attacking and defending,” Gustafson said. “But, I still think we need to work on defending as a team and attacking as a team.” This challenge will not be tackled quickly, and it is one that any team faces.
“We really started to lock down on defense and maintain a strong shape, we succeeded in forcing the play left or right on several occasions, and most of all we stayed strong as a team.”
Despite the harsh loss, several players put down great performances at Choate, namely goalkeeper and senior Courtney Gibeley. Facing a high volume of shots off of Choate players’ cleats, Gibeley did well to only allow five to get past her.
According to Gustafson, the game was also mentally taxing for the entire team—Exeter failed to tally a shot on goal all game, and that was physically and mentally hard on the players. Choate’s squad managed to take out any Exeter attackers before they could make a play for a shot, and their offense pushed Big Red’s defense to its limits. “They had a couple quick and skilled girls on their team who could easy dribble through some areas of our defensive areas during parts of the game,” Gustafson said.
Senior and captain Bridget Higgins added that Choate’s squad had a distinct advantage due to their level of training and preparation for the game.
“Our game against Choate was challenging, mostly because we simply weren’t playing at the same level,” Higgins said. “Their team is largely returners, most of whom play [in an] all-year round club together. They are in mid-season form while we are just getting used to not only who we are playing with, but where we are playing and who is coaching us.”
Higgins, however, was quick to point out the silver lining around Saturday’s game.
“[Although] the score dictated a loss, we improved in many ways,” Higgins said. “We really started to lock down on defense and maintain a strong shape, we succeeded in forcing the play left or right on several occasions, and most of all we stayed strong as a team.”
Higgins said she is optimistic about the rest of the season and added that the Big Red girls’ team will come back from this initial loss.
“We are a strong team and we work hard,” Higgins said. “I look forward to putting some wins on our record, and tomorrow is our first step towards getting there.”