Girls’ Hockey Defeats Defending NE Champions
In a stunning upset, the girls’ varsity hockey team defeated the defending league champion, New Hampton School, this past Saturday. Exeter scored in the closing seconds of the third period to secure a win. The New Hampton Huskies came to Exeter having beaten two teams that bested Big Red in the past month.
"It’s awesome coming off of a big upset win. I definitely feel like the momentum is on our side for the rest of the season.”
New Hampton realized they did not have the upper hand when the score remained tied after 55 minutes of play, but by that point it was too late. With just under a minute to go before sudden death overtime, upper Chiara Christie gained control of the puck and unleashed a clapper from the blue line. The skilled shot was met with a few seconds of silence as the opposing goalie fumbled with the puck before it slid across the line to give Exeter three goals to New Hampton’s two. Lowers Keaghan Tierney and Jill Cloonan also scored to help secure the victory for Big Red.
This game was one of the greatest underdog victories for the girls’ hockey team in a long time. “Everyone was super pumped because on paper, New Hampton is a better team, and they were expected to win,” lower Robin Potter said.
Tierney also shared her thrill with the outcome of the battle, highlighting the team’s overall effort. “Everyone was just on it yesterday and did their job. It was so dope,” she said.
Cloonan emphasized the importance of the team’s mentality going into the game. “We always play better against the top teams. If we can carry this determination for the rest of the season, I am sure we are going to win some great games,” she said. “I was so proud of everyone for playing their best. [Upper Kathryn] Kester had an awesome game, and we are lucky to have such a strong defender like her.”
After facing a tough loss at home against Vermont Academy the night before, girls’ varsity hockey went to bed early to rest up for the game against New Hampton. With nothing to lose, Big Red threw itself at its opponent, powering shot after shot into the net. In the end, it all paid off.
Senior co-captain Kaleigh Conte expects this triumph to keep the team determined for the remainder of its games. She said, “It’s awesome coming off of a big upset win. I definitely feel like the momentum is on our side for the rest of the season.”
In the coming week, Big Red has back-to-back matches on Friday and Saturday against Dexter Southfield School and Northfield Mount Hermon School, respectively. Both teams have powered through their fixtures and had successful seasons. But will it be enough to derail the Exeter freight train and all its momentum after the win against New Hampton?
With only three games remaining before the final matchup with Andover, this win couldn’t come at a better time. In the next three weeks of the season, Conte explained that the team will not be changing anything major. Conte said the team will “keep doing the little things, working hard on and off the ice and taking care of ourselves.”