Field Hockey on a Roll, Snags 2 Wins
This week has been an exciting one for girls’ varsity field hockey, with Exeter adding two wins to its season record. Coming off a tie with Groton School the previous week and a 3-6 loss to Milton Academy, the team will hopefully gain some positive momentum with these two victories. Varsity field hockey played an adrenaline-pumping game against Middlesex School on Wednesday, winning by a slim 3-2 into overtime. The players continued their stride with a 4-3 victory against Cushing Academy the following Friday on the 22nd.
“We really worked well together and focused on passing more than dribbling on our own, so we could move the ball around the other team’s players really quickly.”
The final minutes of the game before overtime gripped the attention of the audience as the tension increased as each team tried to make the final game-winning shot. The sophomores and juniors from Exeter showed grit and perseverance as they held off Middlesex’s offense. With a penalty shot from Johna Vandergraaf, Exeter sealed their victory and wrapped up another thrilling weekday game. Upper and co-captain Hannah Littlewood called Wednesday’s game “a great win because Middlesex is an extremely strong team and very tough to beat.”
As the sun set and another week came to a close this Friday night, Exeter field hockey took center stage at Friday Night Lights to ensure another victory, this time over Cushing Academy. Perhaps energized by the close victory over Middlesex, Big Red came off the bench strong, immediately pressuring Cushing. PEA gained a quick 4-1 lead over Cushing, dominating for most of the game. Senior and co-captain Emma Wellington attributes this strong start to the stickhandling of her teammates. “We really worked well together and focused on passing more than dribbling on our own, so we could move the ball around the other team’s players really quickly.” The team’s emphasis on passing seems to have paid off this game, as Cushing had difficulty mounting a proper defense against Exeter’s dynamic play-style.
By the final period, however, Cushing seemed to have found its rhythm, catching up to Exeter to bring the game to a close 4-3. Unfortunately for Cushing, Exeter kept up the pressure all the way until the end of the game, denying Cushing the final goal needed to bring the game into overtime. The cheering from the stands as Exeter beat Cushing was the loudest it has been this season, and hopefully Big Red can continue to deliver this much excitement throughout the season.
Girls’ varsity field hockey will be taking the weekend off from practice, instead focusing on general conditioning. After a well-rested weekend, Exeter plays against Winsor School this Wednesday in an away game and against Deerfield Academy in another away game this Saturday.