Deerfield played its best game of the season, defeating Hotchkiss on a cold autumn afternoon in Lakeville, Connecticut. With, at best, only one healthy player on its bench, the Junior A squad proved its endurance and versatility, putting on a dominant performance for eighty minutes against a resilient Hotchkiss team. Sophomore Ryan Bai exemplified this grit and flexibility. Playing exclusively at fullback coming into this game, he accepted his new assignment to attacking midfielder without complaint or hesitation and earned plaudits from his teammates at halftime, before shifting to holding middie to cover for an in-game injury and acquitting himself well at another new position for him. Tommy Govi ’26 also stepped up to help the shorthanded team, moving from the defensive position at which he has established himself to return to striker. He didn’t lose a step, showing great field awareness and keeping pressure on the keeper. Govi scored Deerfield’s second goal of the game three minutes into the second half with a strong shot off a perfect cross from midfielder Jack Zhunio ’27. The offensive player of the game was winger Jack Wagner ’26, who skillfully chipped a ball over the head of the goal to put Deerfield on the board half an hour into the game. Then he scored the third goal with twenty minutes to go as he crashed the goal and got his foot on a ball that the keeper missed. Both the offensive and defensive units played their tightest, most cohesive games of the fall, with Michael Hioe continuing to prove himself excellent at taking the air out of our opponents’ drives. While Deerfield allowed Hotchkiss only a handful of shots, keeper Jerry Du ’27 made a couple of highlight-reel grabs. This is just how the team needs to be playing as it heads into its contest against the perennially tough Westminster at home on Wednesday.