Going into our match-up with Westminster, Deerfield’s Junior A team knew it was coming up against a strong opponent, as Westminster had been the only loss for our team last year. This year, Westminster’s physically dominant players posed a psychological test for our team as much as it posed a physical one. Two early goals from Westminster’s team were challenging for our team to surmount, but strong offensive plays by Deerfield turned into a goal from Evan Galli ’25—a valiant return for a player who has been out from play for the past few weeks. However, after Westminster scored a successful penalty kick in Deerfield’s goal box, the score went up to 1-3 just before the halftime. At the halftime, Deerfield switched to a more defense-oriented to account for Westminster’s aggressive offense. That gametime choice, along with some excellent saves from goalie Leo Ma ’25, helped fend off some of Westminster’s next shots. In the second half, Bryan Gianvecchio ’25 shot a goal, assisted by steady footwork from Finn Knight ‘25, that flew over the abundance of heads in the crowded goalbox. Deerfield was hopeful that we could turn the game into a draw or perhaps edge out a win, but after a fourth goal by Westminster, Deerfield struggled to complete its plays. While the loss was a tough one, the members of the Deerfield Junior A team held their heads high as we returned to campus. Resilient and assured in our team’s purpose, we face our next opponent Eaglebrook on Saturday afternoon.