Deerfield dropped its first game of the season on an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon at Wilbraham & Monson Academy against a big, physical JV side coached by Deerfield alum Lawrence Biondo ’86. We were slow to respond to Wilbraham’s signature long-ball counterattacks, and their pacy forwards scored three times in the first 13 minutes. But Deerfield regrouped and held the Titans scoreless for the rest of the first half. Another quick break coming out of halftime pushed WMA’s lead to four, but Deerfield, who dominated possession for much of the match and especially in the second half, started creating chances. Striker Cole Higgins ’26 got Thirds on the scoresheet with a rocket to the near post after a brilliant ball from our versatile Door of the Week, Jack LaRovere Abrams, who was playing at fullback. Five minutes later, Vail Brokaw ’27 made it a game again with the most gorgeous free kick we’re likely to see this season, bending it around Wilbraham’s four-man wall to find the top-right corner. While WMA would answer with two more goals of their own, Deerfield never quit, playing some of the best one- and two-touch soccer of the year, with Jasper Gruhl ’28, PJ Pirsch ’28, and Will Cleary ’29 linking up well in attack. Despite the number of goals conceded, the defense put in a strong shift, especially ironman Magnus Selvig ’26, who played 80 minutes at center-back, and newcomer Charlie Juhas ’29, who consistently won his duels and distributed well out of the back. Deerfield will look to get back to winning ways on Wednesday at home against Suffield.