Moxie Primed for Exciting Season
Coming off of last year’s record of 7 wins, 11 losses and 1 tie, the girls’ varsity field hockey team prepares for this season with high expectations. The team hopes to improve its record again and finish this season strong. The momentum gained from last season’s end-of-year success has ignited a new spark in this year’s team members and signals a strong start to the upcoming season.
"I think that by scoring more goals and keeping our play strong throughout the game we can achieve more consistency and win more games,”
The team captains will be uppers Hannah Littlewood and Catherine Griffin and seniors Emma Wellington and Johna Vandergraaf. Although five seniors graduated from last year’s team, the returning players are optimistic and confident that they can build a strong team. The introduction of fresh players to this year’s line-up is sure to add vigor and excitement to future games.
Littlewood named fitness as a main focus for their team, especially during preseason. “We have a lot of different tests, like the timed mile and 300 yard shuttles and doing well on those is important. We are also trying to build and strengthen team chemistry in order for us to connect passes on the field,” she said
With mostly sophomores and juniors on the team, Griffin agreed that she hopes to develop her relatively young team as a unit. “As a team, we have a lot of energy, and I think that we have a lot of potential to win most of our games,” she said. Future games will surely test the endurance and teamwork of the players, especially during the second half when fatigue can set in.
The girls also hope to strengthen their offense and become more consistent. Littlewood noted that last year, players would start off games really strong but eventually lose their momentum. “I think that by scoring more goals and keeping our play strong throughout the game we can achieve more consistency and win more games,” she said.
The girls’ hard work combined with talent point to another successful season this fall. Some of the team’s core strengths this time around include speed and athleticism, as even first-time players ended up picking up the sport quickly thanks to their previous experiences with other sports. Their success on the field, once again, suggest to an optimistic record for this season.
After competing against skilled teams from various schools, Exeter looks forward to winning E/A at the end of the season. Though last year’s E/A was a very tight game against Andover, with Exeter only losing by a margin of two points, the team is confident and determined to beat them this year. Having thoroughly analyzed the team’s weak points from the previous season, the coaches and captains are confident that they can show dynamic and fast-paced games to excite fans.
The girls will play in a jamboree during the first weekend they get back to school. The team will then have two home games in a row, against Groton School and Milton Academy, which the team lost to by a point and won against by a point, respectively, during last year’s season. Looking forward to many home games this season, Big Red field hockey hopes to make stunning records this season.