Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Enjoy Preseason

By Ava Helbig, Rohit Kantameni, Lauren Lee, Chelsea Zhao

Big Red’s girls’ and boys’ varsity soccer teams are off to a bang for the fall of the 2022-2023 school year. Players arrived a week prior to the start of school to begin a rigorous preseason. 

Boys’ varsity soccer player and upper Solu Ajene described the training.

 “Pre-season was very high-intensity. I hadn't played much soccer over the summer, so I was quickly humbled by the fast-paced play and the stamina needed to keep up. My body quickly caught up to the daily training,” he said. “There were many different drills, including possession games, five aside matches, and crossing.”

The girls’ team started their season off with a tie 1-1 against Nobles. Prep Ashley Ting scored a beautiful goal in her first match in an Exeter uniform to provide Big Red’s lone score of the day while captain and senior Bridgette Martin was outstanding in net. 

For Martin, the game was thrilling. “The atmosphere on the field before was exciting! Our team was getting hyped up and ready for our first season game, we were all super happy and we were happy to see a lot of friends and family on the sidelines.” 

History Instructor and head coach Alexa Caldwell added, “a tie against Nobles was significant—historically we have lost to Nobles, and while a win would have been awesome, to play such a competitive game against them was awesome. Especially since we have so many young players starting for us, and an entirely new defense.” 

Martin also talked about some of the highlights and standouts of the season so far. “Ashley Ting's goal was a beautiful highlight of the game,” she said. “[Senior] Sami Smith also had an amazing game putting lots of pressure on in the offensive end and challenged their keeper quite a bit.” 

The team focuses significantly on strategy in preparation for games. “We have been working on our communication all season. Also with me and my co-captain Ryan Pate in the back, it's been a focus of ours to build from the back to create a successful and aggressive offensive line allowing us to shoot as we please,” Martin said.

Caldwell applauded the team’s efforts. “Overall, the team has been very focused in their preparation for games. During warm up players are working to prepare themselves individually, while also making sure their teammates are getting excited and feeling confident,” she said. “We had a session with a sports psychologist during preseason to practice positive self-talk and having confidence.” 

The captains lead the team by example. “Our captains Ryan Pate and Bridgette Martin are doing a great job setting a tone for the season—they work hard and have fun, and at the end of the day, that is all I can ask from the players,” Caldwell said. 

The boys’ team opened their season with a stunning 6-4 win over Hoosac. Varsity player and upper Aaron Park talked about the scoring of the game. “During the game they scored first but we scored right after. They led until the second half when we pulled a two goal lead by the 60th min.” 

 The team’s strategy, according to Park, was to focus on “crashing the box” since their size and height was an advantage, contributing to three of their goals.

Dedicated preparation contributed to the team’s win. “The team usually gathers in Elm for a team meal, and then we walk out to the gym as a group. Whether home or away, the spirits are kept high with hype music and positive talk from teammates,” Ajene said. “When we reach the field, we keep the pre-game warm-up intense and high-speed, so we aren't slacking in the actual game. We have a brief but energetic speech before the game starts, and by kickoff, the team is locked in and ready for a win.” 

Players praised the utilization of corner kicks during the game against Hoosac. “I distinctly remember our first two goals: back-post headers off a corner. It was a good day for setpieces as three of our goals came from corners,” Ajene said. 

“[Lower] Jaylen Bennet had a great run on the right wing to slot a goal in for us,” Park added.

Both teams are optimistic for the season. “We are hoping to make it to the playoffs this season,” Martin said. “We have a strong and young team coming in with a lot of energy.”

Next up, the boys team faces off against Choate at home, while the girls are on the road against BB&N. Go Big Red!