Girls’ Wopo Suffers Two Tough Losses
On Saturday, girls’ varsity water polo traveled to Choate Rosemary Hall and completed its final two games of the season against Choate and Suffield Academy. Unfortunately, Big Red fell to both teams in two hotly contested matches. Exeter lost to Choate and Suffield with scores of 2-7 and 4-5, respectively. After these two games, Big Red ends the season with a record of 5-8.
The two losses were disappointing for many members of the team, especially after defeating Choate earlier in the season. Lower Issy Wise explained that the team had high expectations heading into the games. “We expected to beat Choate, and we hoped to beat Suffield, so we were a little disappointed when we didn’t,” she said. Despite the loss, lower Sam Gove insisted that the team played to the best of their abilities. “They were just better than us. We played well, but we just weren’t good enough,” she said.
“We’re disappointed in not making Liquid 4, but we plan on coming back stronger next year. We’re getting some new recruits which will be good.”
Senior and co-captain Emily LaRovere mentioned the fatigue the team felt from the long three hour journey to Choate as a possible factor of their results. “Our first game against Choate was a little slow at first, since we had just gotten off the three hour bus ride and everyone was tired,” LaRovere said. However, LaRovere elaborated that the team still played valiantly despite Choate’s strong defense.
In the game against Suffield, the girls began building upon up their momentum. The second game ended up being closer and more competitive for both teams. “Our game against Suffield was a lot more fun, and I think we played a much better game,” LaRovere said.
Despite recognizing the opportunity to improve some technical skills, LaRovere admitted that the team has vastly improved since the beginning of the season. “We can always work on our shooting and passing, but we were in a much better place then we were when we first played Suffield,” she said.
With these two losses, Exeter missed the opportunity to compete in the Liquid 4 Championships. LaRovere expressed her disappointment in being unable to attend the championship in her last season on the team. However, the younger members of the team remained optimistic and motivated to redeem themselves in the following years. “We’re disappointed in not making Liquid 4, but we plan on coming back stronger next year. We’re getting some new recruits which will be good,” Wise said. Gove also expressed her confidence in the team qualifying for the championships next year.
LaRovere also expressed her faith in the team’s ability to be more successful next season after she graduates. “I think this will just give the team even more motivation for next year to qualify, and hopefully they can work on the strong foundation that was formed this season. I wish them the best of luck next year, and I’m going to miss each one of them so much!”