The JV Field Hockey team traveled to the Berkshires on a sunny September afternoon to play their first game of the season against a new opponent, the Berkshire School. Berkshire came out strong, putting pressure on our defense right away and were first to score. After taking a time-out, Deerfield re-grouped, made strategic adjustments, and held them to a 0-2 halftime score.
During the second half of the game, Olivia Waterfall ’23 and Jo Louis ’23, two new additions to the JV squad this fall, fueled their teammates by bringing a fresh energy and focus to the play. With eleven minutes left in the half, Olivia got a break-away with Jo at her side and made her way past three defenders in her path. She went on to score our first and only goal of the game, raising the spirits of her teammates. The offense stepped up and maneuvered their way into the circle with more success as the half continued, and had several scoring opportunities, one of which being a penalty corner. Regardless of this added intensity, DA was unable to get the ball in the goal.
Throughout the game, Deerfield’s defense worked tirelessly as a team to contain Berkshire and keep them out of the circle. There were many excellent defensive moves including block tackles from defenders Cam Howe ’22 and Hunter Keller ’20, but Berkshire never let down. They continued to put significant pressure on our defense and, although goalie Gabriella Hu ’21 made countless saves, Berkshire was able to sneak two more balls into the goal, with a final score of 1 – 4.