10/3/24 Highlight: Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey
By SERENA YUE and FORREST ZENG
In a closely matched game on Saturday, the girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team faced Deerfield, conceding the match by a single penalty corner 0-1.
For the first few minutes, the two teams pressed each other’s defense, consistently bringing the ball into opposing territory. Big Red faced a brief scare at 12 minutes in, but the team’s goalie blocked the shot effectively. For most of the first quarter, both teams carried equal momentum, ending with 0-0.
Both teams entered the second quarter hoping to gain an advantage. Tensions rose during the second quarter as both teams received penalty corners and failed to convert. Deerfield’s defense found itself being tested by Exeter’s sharp offense. Exeter received another string of penalty corner opportunities, though failed to convert them, keeping the score flat at 0-0 entering the second half.
Within a few minutes, Deerfield received a penalty corner and converted it into the first point of the match. At 0-1, Exeter received three penalty corner opportunities within a few minutes, but conceded to the opposing team’s opaque defense. With two minutes left on the clock, the teams set up for another penalty corner for Deerfield, which Exeter fended off successfully. The teams ended the third quarter at 0-1.
The teams scuffled over the ball for the first few minutes, before Deerfield received consecutive penalty corners, both of which they failed to convert. The teams pushed each other across the field for a few more minutes, before Exeter received a penalty corner, which they conceded again. As the timer ticked to the final minute, both teams huddled briefly in a timeout, preparing to fight fiercely for the final say. Exeter received a final match-determining penalty corner as the clock ended, unfortunately conceding to the opposing team’s defense, and the match as a whole.
Senior Clare Stewart-Selvan, a fullback who mainly plays defense, reflected on the team’s performance, stating, “I don’t think there was anything wrong with how we played. It was just right at the end, we didn’t get it–the last touch. And we had so many 50-50 choices but we just didn’t quite get it. We got close a lot.”
“We’re learning to get in the circle and find a way to put the ball in the back of the net,” head coach Sam Fahey said.
Her teammate and senior Natalia Ulbin echoed the sentiment, saying, “I think we were a little bit flustered. We could have taken just a minute to slow down and reset ourselves, but I would honestly say this was our best game of the season so far. From the first quarter, our adrenaline was high and we were all locked in. Deerfield’s a tough team to beat, but we went out there and gave it our all.”
Fahey said, “The game went really well and I was happy to see us play a fast-paced game. Deerfield is always a great matchup.”
She commended the Exeter team’s defense. “I’d love to praise our whole defensive unit. Josie Hilbert is doing amazing, as well as our PG Lindsey Rogers. Also, I’d love to acknowledge Seniors Grace Benson and Clare Stewart-Selvan, who contributed immensely and have been the backbone of our defense.”
Ulbin concluded, “Honestly, I think this game really set the tone for the rest of the season, and I’m excited to get back out there and play another game because I think we have it in us to really take this season home.”
