Deerfield kept the good times rolling on Saturday as we notched our second win in a row in front of visiting families on a beautiful early autumn afternoon in the Valley. The odds were stacked against us, as we came into the contest with two players recovering from illness and six players scratched, including most of our starting back line. As we remembered the five goals Wilbraham hung on us last season, confidence was in short supply at kick-off. But in the pregame huddle we focused on starting strong, and that’s just what we did, driving hard to the corners right from the start. Before three minutes had elapsed, we got on the board, with captain Gershom Munene ’27 knocking in his first goal off a great cross from Isaac Shabola ’27. Deerfield’s relentless pressure in the box induced a Wilbraham own-goal that gave us the 2-0 lead at the end of the half. The clean sheet was the achievement of an underrated defense led by juniors Nick Smiarowski, Rich Zhou, Teddy Gonzalez, and Joaquim Calvacante, who is new to Deerfield and becoming an important role-player on the team. We expected a fierce battle in the second half, especially with our short bench, and that’s what we got. But Deerfield didn’t let our intensity subside and, in the 23rd minute, another gorgeous cross from Shabola was perfectly handled by forward Kenan Ozawa ’28, who made it 3-0. Wilbraham got on the board thanks to a penalty kick following a size foul in the box. Running on fumes, Deerfield nonetheless played hard to the final whistle and was rewarded for it. Striker Howard Jin ’27, who had been crashing to the goal on every attack, made it 4-0 by ensuring a great header from middie Marko Wuchenich ’26 at 38’ found the back of the net. Then, in the games final seconds, the crowd was treated to a play that will long rotate in the Deerfield Thirds highlight reel. Defenseman Ryan Bai ’26 had pressed up all game and twice sent up a shot from deep. The third time was a charm, as a laser off his right foot not only put the cherry on top of our victory but also became Ryan’s first goal in his three legendary years on Junior A. The team went wild, the coaches went wild, and this will keep a smile on our faces through the long weekend, after which we jump on the road to Suffield and look to keep the streak alive.