Varsity Field Hockey Starts Season Strong

By JAKE CREELAN, JOONYOUNG HEO, ROXANE PARK

On many afternoons of the week, you can find the girls varsity field hockey team running up and down the turf, passing the ball back and forth. One of them hits it between the goalposts and the others cheer. When the whistle blows, the girls pick up their sticks and head to the locker rooms. It’s the end of the day, and the start of a successful season. 

The varsity team is mostly composed of uppers and seniors, led by senior captains Adora Perry, Pippa Pflaum, and Kate Rose. The head coach is Samantha Fahey and the assistant coaches are Sarah Nelson and Instructor in English Mercy Carbonell. 

Players on the team have enjoyed their first few weeks on the field. “I think the season has been going really well so far,” senior Lauren Zoota said. “It’s good to get back up because we’ve had a couple of weeks where we haven’t had any games. I feel like we’re getting back into the rhythm, and the team is definitely coming together. We’ve been learning more about how to play as a team and share the ball.”

“It’s going well,” prep Luvy Danielson said. “The team is amazing, and it’s been fun getting to know them. I think we have a lot of potential.”

The team had a strong start to the season with a statement 9-0 win over the Tilton School. “It allowed us to experiment with positioning on the field and build confidence early in the season,” upper Grace Benson said. 

Following their opening victory, the team went into a tight match with Milton, eventually resulting in a 1-1 tie. The team fought back and forth all the way to overtime, with captain and senior Adora Perry scoring the lone goal.

“That game was a highlight for me,” senior Audrey Mills said. “I feel the team worked really well and it was also a very close game. I also feel like I played well that day. My family came to the game, so it was a great experience.”

Benson added, “The game against Milton was also a personal highlight for me. The game was very back-and-forth and overtime was no different, and it was really exciting to have a close-matched low-scoring game.”

Accordingly, though not without obstacles, the team set the tone for the rest of the season, putting on an impressive show of grit and talent in the first two matches. 

“The first half of our season is the most challenging in the opponents we play,” head coach Samantha Fahey said. “So we’re tested every week, but each game sets us up for our next. We play a hard schedule in general and there are no easy games, but we’re ready for that challenge.”

Much of their success has come not only from skilled individual play but a strong sense of cohesion in the team itself. The players certainly do not hide their appreciation for each other, especially for their captains. 

“I really admire the captains this year,” upper Natalia Ulbin said. “Adora, Pippa, and Kate have led the team through practices and games by increasing the intensity and just being role models for the rest of us. When they play with full effort, it inspires the rest of us to play 100 percent as well.”

“Our captains are great,” Mills said. “They all work together very well, and they help lead the team on the field by doing warmups and being an amazing example for every girl on the field. But they are also so good off the field in answering any question about our practices, games or any other issues.”

Upper Clare Stewart-Selvan had just as much to say. “The captains are doing a great job at keeping the energy up, and Kate’s really good at inspiring the team when games get really competitive, when we get tired toward the end.”

“The captains have been crucial to our success this season so far,” Benson said. “Adora has been someone who sets the tone of every practice with her competitive attitude, and is a role model for the younger and newer players like me.”

Many feel the same admiration for their fellow players as they do their captains. 

For Zoota, Benson herself is an inspiration. “This is her first year ever playing field hockey and I think she’s been doing a great job,” Zoota said. “She’s really stepped up and works really hard and she’s been doing a great job this year.”

Benson is not the only new player to have an impact on the team. “I admire Audrey Sim and Sam Crowley, our goalies,” Mills said. “They are new this season and have been so incredible, especially in the games. They block so many shots on goal and both have such positive attitudes about everything.”

Naturally, the close bond these seventeen girls share has made for some great moments off the field. 

“Honestly, I think sitting at the bonfires together was my favorite team experience, but even when we do team dinners, some of us stay late at Elm because we want to keep talking,” Stewart-Selvan said.

Indeed, their team dinners are a very special part of their team dynamic. “I know that seems like it should be happening on every team, but it doesn’t,” Fahey said. “Everyday I’m so impressed by what the students and student-athletes do, and their taking the time to sit down together tells me they’re making time for each other off the field. They just seem to be enjoying each other, and that’s a bigger win than a win on the field.”

Looking ahead, the players are confident that the team will only continue to improve.

Mills referenced both personal goals and hopes for the team. “I hope that I improve as a player, get better with stick skills, and in general as the season progresses I look forward to seeing how my team does because we are very good, and I hope that we go far.”

“I’m looking forward to just understanding each other and playing more cohesively throughout the season,” Stewart-Selvan said. “We’re making a lot of progress and making some really good plays.”

“I think we’re all using each other and playing a very team-oriented game. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season, as we can only progress from here,” Ulbin added.

“I just want this team and this program to succeed—and get 10 or more wins,” Fahey said. “With all the hard work they put in, there’s nothing more rewarding than feeling good walking off the field, especially after a win. Last year we were only three games away from playoffs, so that’s a huge goal for us. We’re in a place to expect more of ourselves and when we start doing that consistently, we’ll be able to put games away.”

Driven by their determination and cooperative spirit, the girls varsity field hockey team is a commanding force at the Academy. With twelve games left in the season culminating in a final match against rival Phillips Academy, Exonians can expect to see hard-earned triumphs and an increasingly united team in the weeks ahead.