Boys Junior A Soccer saved its best game for last, putting together a full-team effort to beat Choate 5-0 on a frigid Saturday morning. The scoring started in the fourteenth minute when center midfielder Darien Chiang launched a long shot from outside the box. When the keeper couldn’t keep his gloves on it, sophomore outside midfielder Gale Gai was there to knock it in. It was a Gai’s first goal on the season, long overdue after his ten weeks of hard work. Deerfield clung to that one-goal lead for the next twenty minutes but went up 2-0 three minutes before the half when center midfielder Will Yang sent a beautiful cross that ninth-grade outside midfielder Tom Spater turned into a shot. After the goalie deflected it, ninth-grade forward Peter Kurto made an off-balance kick that sent the ball straight up off the bottom of the cross bar and back into the net. With that goal, Kurto finishes the season as the team’s leading scorer. Deerfield came out of the huddle knowing the game’s momentum would be with whichever team scored the next goal. Five minutes into the second half, Chiang passed the ball outside to the end line where Spater was open and kicked back a high curling cross just in front of the goal, where the keeper reached up but was unable to grab it before his hands were back behind the goal line. Deerfield, already dominating possession by excellent passing and quick tempo, was now firmly in control of the game. The fourth goal came in the 65th minute when junior midfielder Will Schoelkopf lined a deep shot down the center of the fielder and ninth-grader forward Muyi Woghiren chased it into the box and kicked it in when the keeper (who had just been swapped in from the JV game) couldn’t hang on to it. The DA bench erupted in celebration of Woghiren’s first goal of the year. Shortly after, stopper Taeeon Kong got caught playing much too deep and heard it from Coach Meier. But just moments later, Kong gained possession of the ball and somehow broke through the entire Choate offense and defense and rocketed down the field, leading to a Deerfield corner kick. Choate sent Songa Rwamucyo’s expert kick across the end line, giving him another chance. This time Rwamucyo put it right in front of the goal area and Spater scored his second goal of the game, Deerfield’s last on the year. In the post-game huddle, the team celebrated its seniors, Atung Peloewetse and thirds veterans Jared Faux and Alex Strait, and reflected on how far they’ve come from early September to end the year with a winning record and a memorable victory.