GVLax Dominates Holderness
Exeter’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team wins the draw and surges up the field, connecting pass after pass and opening up gaps in the Holderness defense. The players persistently drive to the net. Suddenly, upper Bella Hillman blows by her defender and dashes toward the goal. Her teammates pass her the ball and she shoots it high over the goalie’s shoulder to give Big Red a 4-0 lead. The play resets to the center of the field. Exeter wins yet another draw and steamrolls Holderness to score another goal. By the end of the game, every team-member has played to earn Exeter a final score of 16 goals to Holderness’ two.
This win at home on a sunny Saturday afternoon gives Big Red a three-game winning streak. For senior and co-captain Anna Reaman, the game was special. “We worked very well together in the attack zone and played with a lot of team spirit,” she said. “Every player was able to get into the game, and everyone played well.”
Goalie and upper Cammie Lavoie delivered a particularly impressive performance. “Cammie played very well; she was like a brick wall. We had a good defensive game in general so there was not an outrageous number of shots on net, but Cammie did an amazing job rejecting the few opportunities Holderness had,” senior Auden Barbour said.
Reaman attributed the team’s success to its core mentality and team motto: “Full Fifty.” She said, “‘Full Fifty’ means that our team fights to play a fully fifty minutes of lacrosse. This past game against Holderness truly embodied the ‘Full Fifty’ mentality. The defense was solid, the midfield outworked the other team for the 50/50 balls, and the attack put everything together to score a bunch of goals.”
The entire game was a highlight on the season, but a few plays stood out because team-members demonstrated their skills and dedication. Senior and co-captain Lauren Arkell shared her favorite moment of the game. “We had a streak in the beginning where we had multiple fast breaks. We moved the ball down the field fast and scored. It showed how well we can play as a team,” she said.
Reaman described the team’s quick passes down the field that helped Big Red to score many of its 16 goals. “The ball would start with Cammie, and then she would clear it to a defenseman, and then they would pass it up to a midfielder and then to an attack player, and we’d score,” she said.
The game against Holderness demonstrated that the team is becoming more determined as the season progresses. Since starting the season with many underclassmen members, Exeter has found its stride.
The team’s next match will be at home on Saturday, May 5 at 6:30 PM. Exeter will take on the Brooks School. Looking forward to the rest of the season, Barbour expressed her excitement and auspicious views about Big Red. “I think this team has a lot of potential, not only this year, but also in many years to come. As for this year, we have got a whole lot left in the tank.”