Boys’ Soccer Ties Andover 1-1
Finishing off the season with a record of eleven wins, five losses and two ties, Boys’ Varsity Soccer closed out one of its strongest years at Exeter/Andover Weekend. Led by senior captains Jake Gehron and Billy Menken, the team tied Andover 1-1 in a tense game with no overtime. The game was played in Phelps Stadium, in front of a cheering crowd on both sides.
Spectators noted the thrilling nature of the game. “The game was really intense all the way through. [Andover was] up in the beginning, and we scored and tied it. It stayed tied all the way throughout the game,” spectator and lower Evan Gonzalez said. “Our players were working really hard—it was near the other team’s goal for most of the game.”
While the team found success on the field, some spectators felt that the referees made several miscalls. “There were two bogus calls. The first call was ridiculous. The referee called a free-kick that led to [Andover] scoring a goal. The [Exeter] player made a beautiful tackle on the ball—it wasn’t a foul,” prep EJ Barthelemy said. “In the other case, an Andover player fouled one of our strikers. He was fouled inside of Andover’s penalty box. It should have been a penalty kick, but the referee called it a free-kick just outside the eighteen-yard box.”
Despite jeering from the Andover crowd, the Exeter team stayed composed and played their game. “The Andover crowd was chanting Exeter player’s names, but we all did well to shut them out,” upper Jack Burgess said. “Apparently, the Andover players were more affected by it than we were.”
To many Exeter fans, the highlight of the game was the team’s goal by Jake Gehron. “We silenced the crowd with our goal. Burgess found me in a pocket, and I found Jake to the right of me on the top of the box,” senior Emir Islamovic said. “He one-timed it with his left foot, and it flew into the post. It smashed the post and went in.”
In terms of individual contributions, upper Matt Ngai noted that the captains contributed skillfully to the game. “Jake [Gehron] played a really good game,” Ngai said. “He scored a beautiful goal with his left foot and was dangerous throughout.”
Islamovic echoed Ngai’s thoughts. “Billy Menken’s consistent hard work on both the offensive and defensive end, being the link between the defense and offense…kept everyone in line,” he said.
Gehron himself had some shoutouts to give. “Billy was fantastic in midfield alongside Jack [Burgess],” he said. “I also want to give a shoutout to our defense, who played very well on the day.”
All in all, the game was a good effort by the team. “Although we didn’t get the win to take us to playoffs, we all tried our hardest, and I’m really proud of the team,” Ngai said. “It was a good and competitive game.”
Members of the team played their best to give the seniors a proper send-off. “[The last game carries] a sad feeling, especially since it was Jacob Gehron and Billy Menken’s last game with us,” Burgess said. “I only wished that we could have put on a better show for our seniors.”
To those seniors, the game was particularly sentimental. “I was almost in tears at the end of the game when I realized it was the final time I would be playing with my brothers,” Gehron said. “Although we drew, I am still happy to say that, in my three years of being at Exeter, I have never lost to Andover.”