Soxie Triumphs Against Worcester
Last Saturday, the Exeter girls’ varsity soccer team battled it out in the harsh winds, rain and mud for a successful 2-1 outcome against the esteemed Worcester Academy. The team ended its streak of away game losses and hopes to continue its momentum in this week’s game against Andover in this year’s Exeter/Andover games.
“Worcester is a very talented team that has won Championships and beat us for many years in the past so it was a huge win for us and we definitely worked hard for it,” recalled senior and co-captain Ogechi Nwankwoala. Nwankwoala also mentioned the hard work the team put into the last game, especially considering the windstorm they were playing in. “It was even hard to keep your balance at times but we went into the game with a good attitude and did not let the wind stop us,” she said.
Senior and co-captain Juliana Merullo emphasized Exeter’s perseverance despite the harsh weather conditions of winds up to 35 miles per hour, saying, “I think that we just did a better job than Worcester at adapting to the wind and continuing to play our style.”
Lower Mei Li Hart agreed with Nwankwoala and Merullo about her personal grit throughout the game. “I think I play better [...] with the idea that it’s going to be a hard fight,” she reflected.
In addition to the team’s fortitude, the players’ training the week before also contributed to their successes. Upper Robin Potter described the tough, yet rewarding practices leading up to the game. “It was rainy all week and our field was a mess but we got out and had productive practices anyways,” she said.
The lowerclassmen had their time to shine in last week’s game, with the only two goals both coming from preps. “Shoutout to our two preps Kaylee Bennett and Kate Mautz for scoring our two beautiful goals,” Nwankwoala said.
Merullo, added to the praise, and said, “It was both of their first goals for the team, which was awesome.” One of the goals, shot by prep Kaylee Bennett, was particularly impressive considering she had just recovered from an injury. Merullo extended her positive sentiments by saying that “to have these preps step up big in a game we really need to win [is] what our team is all about: supporting each other and making the plays we need to win.”
All forces of offense, midfield and defense played phenomenally. Additionally, Merullo recalled that “[senior] Gillian Quinto, our goalie, had to combat really tough shots in the wind,” Potter remembered that lower Tessa Shields also played a good game at center midfield: “She played composed and distributed the ball well.”
The team is eager to play Andover in this weekend’s E/a, which is arguably the most important game of the season. Potter stated, “I know that everyone will bring the spirit and the effort needed to take home the dub.”
Merullo hopes for a victory against Andover this weekend. She said, “No matter how the rest of our season goes, a lot of it is defined by what happens against Andover. I really believe we have a solid chance to beat them, especially after defeating Worcester, who had beat Andover.”