Deerfield’s JV Field Hockey played perhaps its most competitive game of the season so far against St. Paul’s on this drizzly Saturday in early October. Despite a long bus ride and a number of players coming late, Deerfield managed to start the game with speed and skill, setting the pace for the play to come. Forwards Melody Zhao ‘26, Lila Church ‘25, Sophie Simonds ‘26, Campbell Ardrey ‘26, Lexi Rohan ‘25, Emily Bruno ‘25, Lila King ‘24, Rose Manning ‘26, Lalwani Surpitski ‘26, Alana McDonough ‘27, and Audrey Steffensen ‘26 generated countless scoring opportunities across both halves of the game, helped along by midfielders Linnea Dreslin ‘24 and Charlotte Steffensen ‘25. While none of our shots found their way to the back of the cage, our offensive pressure kept the sidelines in nail-biting suspense. Our defense, including Manning, Surpitski, Josephine Cramer ‘24, Penley Day ‘25, Edie Huffard ‘25, Linnea Knox ‘27, Esther Lee ‘25, and Chloe Xue ‘25 put forward an equally exciting and coordinated effort, staving off SPS’s offensive efforts and keeping the game scoreless throughout (with the help of a big save from keeper Juliet Amadeo ‘24 in the second half). In the end, the scoreboard read 0-0. Coaches from both sides agreed that we wished we could’ve played longer, as the game kept an exciting pace and was an excellent opportunity for growth for both teams. We’ve got a break this Wednesday, but will be back in action at Loomis this Saturday, 10/14.