Fhockey Barrels Past NMH
The ref blows the whistle and varsity field hockey co-captain, senior Jane Collins, pushes the ball into play. Upper Leah Cohen passes it to her right to the other co-captain, senior Hannah Littlewood, who maneuvers her way into the circle to rip a shot. This goal was one of four that Big Red scored against Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) this past Saturday. The end score was 4-1. This game added another win to Exeter field hockey’s impressive season record of 5-2-1.
After sitting on a bus for over two hours to travel out to the NMH campus, Big Red fhockey still came out with intensity to start the game. Upper Sophia Rosati said, “We started the game strong with a few corners and scoring twice in the first half,” giving Big Red a lead early on.
Upper Elizabeth Dentzer agreed. “We found our pace and dominated the play. The ball remained in our offensive end for the majority of the game”. This offensive mindset clearly paid off with the four goals that were scored throughout both halves of the game.
Even though Exeter dominated the scoreboard, the NMH field hockey team was not an easy opponent. The bus ride out to NMH alone had given Exeter a disadvantage. Dentzer explained, saying, “We struggled to find our momentum at the beginning of the game after the long bus ride and short warm-up.” The NMH team additionally “proved to be very physical and aggressive,” according to Rosati.
The team had to combat the fatigue of traveling and jump right into a physically intense game, but the conditioning from prior practices had helped them acclimate and perform. “We have been having more fast-paced drills, which have been helpful,” prep Molly Longfield explained. She accredited the team’s success this game to the “dedication of the team to keeping plays quick and dominating the field.”
According to the team, NMH’s frustration became apparent as the game went on, building up aggression and tension on the field. “During the second half, one of the NMH defenders wound up and hit one of our forwards with her stick after a whistle was called. The ref did not see it, and no card was given,” Dentzer explained.
In response to that aggressive play, Rosati said, “I think our team did a very good job keeping our composure against NMH and not reciprocating their aggressive behavior while channeling our anger into fuel to play better as a team.” This composure ultimately proved to be instrumental in Big Red’s win.
Although there was tension between the two teams, Big Red prided itself on remaining positive throughout the game. Many players on the team recalled Collins repeating the phrase “play our game” during breaks, setting a good example for her teammates to keep playing legally and not lashing out.
Looking forward to this week, Exeter will continue to improve in the hopes of capturing another win to add to their season record. Rosati said that “the team plans to work on corners and communication this week.” Practicing corners seems to be central to success as Big Red scored two goals off of them, but also had a corner scored on them. This Saturday, varsity field hockey will be looking for redemption against Brooks after suffering a 2-8 loss last season.