Highlight: Girls’ Varsity Soccer (09/19/2024)

Courtesy of @exeterathletics

By ERIN HAN and JADE YOO

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the girls’ varsity soccer team kicked off their season with a fierce game against Noble and Greenough School, one of the top teams in their league. 

Though the team was not able to secure a win this time, losing 2-0, their season opener was still a game fought with determination and commendable team play. 

“Considering that this is only the third whole week the team has played together, we played at a very high level,” lower Lily Pate said. “Even after the first goal was scored, we bounced back and ended up playing in their half for the last minutes of the first half. It was a very fast-paced game, and it was a true display of both teams’ fitness.”

A challenging moment during the game was when Nobles scored their second goal 10 minutes into the second half. In these moments, team spirit proved critical. “One of our teammates on the bench yelled to ‘keep your heads up’ and that got our team to encourage each other [on the field], and continue to compete for the next 35 minutes,” Pate recalled.

However, the game also displayed several highlights, as Pate unpacked: “Our defensive line left everything out on the field. There was one moment in the first half when their striker received the ball in our box, and one of our defenders cleared the ball and took out their player in the process.” 

She added, “There was also a point on a throw-in, where our player with her defender on her back headed the ball backward to our striker, and she went into a 1 on 2 to goal and got a shot off.” 

In addition to these impressive technical moments, team spirit once again shined on the field. Pate recalled, “Throughout the game, our bench was coming up with creative rhymes specific to a teammate and cheering each other on.”

This camaraderie makes this team special, and it sets the stage for the rest of the season. Pate concluded, “For this season, you can expect some very competitive, fun-to-watch games. We give it our all every game, and would love to have you come watch us play!”