Field Hockey Falls to St. Paul's
The St. Paul’s field hockey players line up along the circle in front of the goal for their second corner of the the second half. Still down 1-0 in the second, this is a dangerous opportunity against Big Red. The ball is launched forward from behind the goal, and just as the St. Pauls’ attacker smacks it towards the goal, Lower goalkeeper Clara Geraghty dives in front of the shot, sacrificing her body to keep Exeter in the game.
Exeter girls’ varsity field hockey team had a big match against St. Paul’s this past Tuesday, losing 1-0 after an unfortunate goal was scored in the first half. Big Red let a St. Paul’s player through its defense, resulting in the only goal of the game. Upper Sophia Rosati described, “We were caught on our heels during the first three minutes of the game, when their strongest player scored. But we quickly adjusted and played strong for the rest of the game.”
Coming off of a win against Kimball Union Academy last week, the players were eager to take on a highly ranked opponent this Saturday [St. Paul’s]. Unfortunately, all of Exeter’s outdoor sporting events were either cancelled or rescheduled due to weather, and the field hockey team was forced to take on their opponent this tuesday instead.
However, Big Red performed very well given the circumstances. Senior Bella Hillman praised her team, “Our team played really strong today against a tough competitor. We really gave the whole game 100 percent throughout both halves, and our communication has improved since our previous games.” Hillman added, “Clara, our goalie, had some really great saves that helped keep us in the game.”
Upper Jill Cloonan agreed. “We worked really well together, and we had more offensive movement during the second half and maintaining a 50-50 game with St. Paul’s, who by the way, are ranked 10th in New England,” he said.
Big Red gave its all to keep the game close throughout both halves despite a tough mistake in the first few minutes. Connecting their passes and possessing as a team is definitely a key focus for the team going forward.
As the players prepare for three games this week, they have less time to practice, but still plan to improve their skills. On Thursday and Friday the team, according to Hillman, “Will work on connecting more of our passes going up the field, and getting more shots on net under pressure.” This will help Exeter keep their possession during the game and score more goals in the games. Field hockey has been working hard in practice all season and will push to end with wins.
Field hockey has another game to look forward to against Holderness at home on Wednesday, Nov. 7, where it intends to bring fire and determination from its past game. In preparation for Wednesday, Rosati concluded, “I really hope that the team comes out with vengeance, and works just as hard as we did on tuesday, so we can get the dub that we rightfully deserve.”