Going into this game, Deerfield’s Junior A team knew it was facing one of its toughest competitors of the season, as we vividly remembered the hard-earned tie against Cardigan’s team last year. This year, Cardigan got the better of us in a tough 0-5 loss because of their speedy passes, steady defense, and decisive offense. Early in the game, Cardigan scored a goal 3 minutes in, followed by two more goals in the first half when Deerfield’s players momentarily flagged. In the second half, Deerfield was able to fend off their goals until the last few minutes, when Cardigan scored two more goals. Though Deerfield’s team could not successfully complete its plays, the team had several brilliant moments worth celebrating. As our right winger, Tai Feng ’26 made several excellent plays in the first half, and offensive coordination between Feng and James Kurto ’25 resulted in several near-goals that Cardigan’s goalie stealthily stopped. In addition, Matt Dillon ’23, Nikhil Lebaka ’24, and Ryan Bai ’25 provided excellent defense throughout the game. Finally, the versatile midfielder Shogo O’Connor ’25 made steady, smart plays that, according to his teammates, were the highlight of our game. While the score was a tough pill to swallow, the Junior A team has certainly emerged a stronger, more determined team as it prepares to face NMH on Wednesday.