It was a big week of games for the Big Green!
Boys Jr. B Soccer:
On Wednesday, September 22nd, the boys junior B soccer team hosted the Bement School on the lower fields for a 3:00 kickoff to the new season. Play in the early going was even, with neither team able to gain much of an advantage. Neither goal was threatened early, with much of the early play focused in the midfield. In the 6th minute, Bement finally broke through with a goal to take a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, a key save by Joe Berman ’25 kept the Deerfield deficit at only one goal. In the 16th minute, a handball in the box earned Bement a penalty kick, but it was turned away with another clutch save by Berman. Deerfield had a great chance to equalize in the 23rd minute, but the shot just missed the frame. Bement doubled the lead in the 25th minute with another goal to lead 2-0. Just a few seconds from half-time, Matias Cushman ’25 scored on a long range shot in the 34th minute to cut the lead in half and give Deerfield the momentum going into the second half. Unfortunately, Bement put the brakes on the comeback with a quick goal in the 4th minute to increase the lead to 3-1. While Deerfield had some chances to cut into the lead, Bement eventually scored 3 more goals, in the 15th, 18th, and 33rd minutes, for the final 6-1 margin. The team starts off the season with an 0-1 record and will be back in action on September 29th with a 3:45 kickoff against the Eaglebrook School at home.
Boys Jr. A Soccer:
The Boys’ Thirds soccer team made it two in a row to start the season on Saturday afternoon at home. Six different players put goals up for Deerfield. Sophomore Winston Cho, starting at striker for the first time, got us on the board early in the first half, thanks to a precise assist from Ari Santos at attacking midfielder. Santos serviced up another skillful pass up front to allow Will Yang, at left wing, to score soon after. Forward Jack Willet, who scored in the team’s opener, next made it 3-0. Then center back Jack Rohan, fresh off his victory at Friday’s penalty kick competition during practice, moved up the length of the field to take a free kick just outside of the penalty box. His powerful shot sent the ball over the wall of defenders and just above the keeper’s outstretched hands. James Kurto, relieving Cho at center forward, sent Deerfield to halftime up by five. Despite the lopsided score, goalie Jack Chorske was the real difference maker in the first half, frequently facing pressure and always making the smart play, including some memorable saves. The offense proved much better at retaining possession in the second half, which featured a weak-foot goal from Santos that sent the bench and sidelines into a frenzy. Other standout performances included forward Walter Burkley team-first shift to outside defender, where his speed and skill and grit led teammate Yurok Song to call him an exemplar of “the modern fullback.” Athlete of the Week Kiefer Ebling gamely helped out on defense, too, and proved capable of stopping forwards who towered over him. And senior Luke Shields selflessly remained on the field for most of the second half under a hot sun when we didn’t have the numbers to sub him out. The team is growing in confidence and chemistry and looks forward to its first road contest at Loomis on Wednesday.
Varsity Volleyball:
On Wednesday, Deerfield played its first home match in nearly two years and came away with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Hilltoppers from Worcester Academy.
With support from a crowd that started off strong and only got louder throughout the match, Deerfield combined strong serving with good passing, precise setting, and strong hitting. Shout-outs to Cate Shanahan ‘23 for her excellent hitting on the outside, Daphne Gavros ‘22 (captain) for her great setting, and Aoife Bruce ‘22 (captain) and Georgia Sackrey ‘23 for their powerful middle hits.
We next head to Pomfret on Saturday for matches against Pomfret and Sacred Heart.
Hitting the road on Saturday, the varsity volleyball team traveled to Pomfret, CT for matches against Pomfret School and Convent of the Sacred Heart. Deerfield was able to win both matches, both by scores of 2-0.
We had a short warm-up before our match against Pomfret and it took a little bit of time once we were on the court to find our passing, setting, and hitting rhythm. A big service run from captain Daphne Gavros ‘22 helped close out the first set while the second set saw more consistent play from the entire team to help secure the victory.
Facing off against Sacred Heart, Deerfield’s hitting started to improve and while Sacred Heart’s good defense and intelligent hits kept the sets closer, Deerfield was able to pull out their second victory of the day.
Our next match is on Wednesday against a perennially strong Loomis squad; first serve is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
Varsity Field Hockey:
The Varsity Field Hockey team traveled to Pomfret on Wednesday for their second game of the season. The team had a good warm up and was excited to play in the rain and it showed from the first whistle. They improved their press from Saturday’s match-up against Berkshire, passed effectively, and successfully found the back of the net. Lauren O’Donald ‘22 and Lauren Smith ‘24 anchored us in net and Lexi Watson ’24 and Maddy Zavalick ‘22 did a terrific job in our backfield. Everyone played and contributed to a great team win! Goals were scored by Sage Piekarski ’23, Bailey Miller ’24, Caitlyn Lodge ’24, and Charlotte Iler ‘23 . We look forward to preparing for our next league match-up against Hotchkiss on Saturday. Go Big Green!
Deerfield traveled to Lakeville, CT to play Hotchkiss on a beautiful fall Saturday. The teams were evenly matched and play was distributed around the turf. The game was exciting and showcased some exceptional players on both sides. Ella Davies ’24, Maddy Zavalick ’22, and Lauren O’Donald ’22 anchored our defensive unit and Bailey Miller ’24 and Charlotte Iler ’23 led some attacks in our offensive end. Deerfield had 8 corners to Hotchkiss’ 9 and both goaltenders made 5 saves, yet Hotchkiss was able to capitalize twice in their offensive circle. At the end of the game the score was 2—0 Hotchkiss. The Deerfield girls are excited to reconvene this Monday and prepare to take on Milton on Wednesday at Pomfret.
JV Field Hockey:
We lost a hard-fought away game against perennial field hockey strength Hotchkiss on one of the most beautiful days of the fall so far. Our three seniors in today’s game held us together. Each girl’s particular strengths and leadership contributed to pulling us through: captain Coco de Vink’s cool-headed and timely observations about what needed to change, and especially her positive, supportive way of expressing those ideas; captain Tioba Akinjaiyeju’s steadfast, dependable strength, her communication in the moment, and her ability to maintain poise under pressure; and assistant captain Maddie Benello’s sharp field sense in always knowing exactly where to be at the right time, both in the backfield on defense and in the forward line on attack. Forward Jo Louis ’23, with her speed and agility moving up the field on attack, had us almost at the door; we just need a little more coherence and coordination on the transition – strengthening our passing and support – to be able to close that door with a shot on goal. Speaking of! In the face of relentless attacks in the circle, goalies Ashley LaBrucherie ’23 and Juliet Amadeo ’24 saved us, again and again. Their resolve – quick reactions and level-headed play – kept us in the game. Today’s lessons in mind, we’re looking ahead to next week’s contest.
Boys Cross-Country:
Boys cross country split up on Saturday for two different racing experiences. The top seven runners made the long journey to New Milford to race at the Canterbury Invitational. With Max Wang ’25 resting after a solid week of training, six runners toed the line on a sunny, clear day. Co-captain Quinn Hampson ’22 leapt forth from the start and led the field for a few steps before sliding into the middle of a cagey and tactical lead pack. Various runners cycled in and out of the lead while Quinn bided his time, until finally, with about 400m to go, he kicked hard to seize the victory in a personal best time of 16:18. Carson Bynum ’23 had a fantastic, fast run and came home in a personal best of 17:59, thirty-one seconds ahead of Robbie Hua ’24, who also posted a personal best. Blix Salz ’24 battled hard against the course along with the additional challenge of a lingering cold to take Deerfield’s fourth scoring spot mere seconds ahead of co-captain Chase Cherewatti ’22. Rounding out the field for Deerfield was Joe Brown ’23 who just about matched his time from last week despite the added challenge of Canterbury’s third mile hill. Overall, it was a great day for Deerfield XC as the boys who remained at home also completed a mile time trial. All the runners performed admirably, including co-captain Trey Souder ’22, who took first place in 5:37, and debut competitor Angel Paez ’25, who smashed his first-ever mile in a blazing 6:52. The Deerfield harriers look forward to more competitive opportunities at Westminster next week.
Girls Cross-Country:
The DAGXC team had their first away race this weekend, as they made the journey to the Canterbury Invitational. Although not all of the team could attend due to restrictions set by the organisers, those who stayed on campus sent messages of support and ensured that their good wishes were felt by the runners. The team came in 8th with three runners claiming PRs, and we are looking forward to next weekend when almost everyone can go to Westminster. Earlier in the week, we went to the idyllic Green River Road on a picture-perfect day, and for Workout Wednesday the team absolutely crushed hill repeats up the dreaded Pleasant Ave. Another fun week for DAGXC!
For race results visit: https://www.gsrs.com/results/4337
Girls JV Soccer:
Loss 2-0 Westy – JV’s season opener against Westminster was a well matched game. Though we lost 2-0, Deerfield had 17 shots and many great opportunities against a stellar Westy keeper. Charlotte McIntosh ‘23 was excellent on defense, constantly thwarting the Martlett offensive pushes. Alex Gold ‘23 was a force to be reckoned with in the midfield, dominating the play on the right side. Our two keepers Katherine Margulis ‘24 and Greer Anderson ‘22 made some key saves to keep Deerfield in the game.
The Doors traveled to Brattleboro with a very limited roster due to injury and illness. Despite having no subs the team had a great attitude and work ethic. Hadley Carey ‘24 had the first goal off of a beautiful long shot from the outside. The Doors continued to pressure the ball and with one minute left in the first half Hadley Carey crossed a pass that Alex Gold ‘23 knocked in with authority. After a much needed break at the half, Deerfield persevered and continued to push offensively. Grace Honos ‘22 had a nice goal from a cross by Annabelle Brennan ‘23, followed shortly by an amazing effort for a breakaway goal by Alix Smith ‘25. The game’s fifth and final goal was scored by Ella Hynds ‘23. Deerfield worked hard and prevailed against the odds. It was a team win with many contributors.
Thirds Volleyball:
This week the thirds volleyball team improved their record to 2-0 with a decisive win over Stoneleigh-Burnham. The team won in three straight games with notably strong serving from Julia Shulman. In the third game, Shulman hit over a dozen serves in a row to secure the victory.
Varsity Football:
Deerfield improved to 2-0 on the year with a 49-26 victory over Williston. It was a close game heading into the 4th quarter with Deerfield up 28-20 and Williston with the ball. But on 1st down DE Henry Foster hit the Williston QB and deflected the pass right into the hands of MLB Matt Hickey who returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Later on in the quarter, QB Liam O’Brien and RB Matt Hickey both rushed in touchdowns to put the game away for the Big Green. Deerfield’s defense continued to defend the pass well. Along with Hickey’s interception, FS Owen Bunten had a pick 6 of his own and CB Geoffrey Jamiel intercepted the 1st Williston pass of the game and returned it for a TD but it was called back due to an illegal block in the back. RB Nick Peltekian had his 2nd straight 100yd+ rushing game and scored 2 touchdowns. Deerfield welcomes Suffield Academy to Jim Smith Field next for the home opener on October 2nd.
Girls Varsity Soccer:
In their third game of the season, the girls varsity soccer team hosted Westminster. The Big Green was challenged to settle into the game and find their rhythm early on. Entering the half down 0-1, the Big Green refocused their goals for the second half. In the final 25 minutes of the game, the Big Green found their attacking rhythm and created several scoring opportunities. Elsa Schuberth ’22 was taken down in the 18 yard box and ultimately earned a penalty kick. Kaelin Creagh ’24 stepped up and converted the penalty kick, recording her first career goal for the Big Green. At the final whistle, Westminster held the advantage 3-1. With an off Saturday, the Big Green traveled to Williams College to enjoy a NESCAC Women’s Soccer game vs. Trinity College. The Big Green return to Jamie Kapteyn Field on Wednesday, September 29 at 3:30pm vs. Taft.
Boys JV Soccer:
Our first home game of the season was a tight battle with NMH. Though we had more success controlling the ball in the early going, the score was 0-0 through half. With around 10 minutes left of play, a skillfully placed ball from Ocean Feng set Brick Johnson up to punch in his second goal of the season and put us up 1-0. Unfortunately, with only minutes remaining, a race for a long pass towards our goal led to a desperate slide and a penalty kick. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. The squad is committed to drawing useful lessons from this outcome and looks forward to another home game later this week.
Another strong win at home for the boys against Brunswick. For the most part, we played well — on the ground and working to make connections in tight spaces through the midfield and attacking areas. Our second goal was a result of such play: a feed from attacking midfielder Theo Lewis to left winger Stephen Souder, then back to Theo running to goal who pushed it ahead and finished on the ground near post with his left. Our first goal came on a free kick from Ocean Feng, which bounced around a bit before Tommy Augustine found it and poked it in. Up 2-0, we conceded a late goal on a cross which we nearly cleared before they found the ball in the box. Overall, we were positive, hard-working, and supportive of each other. Our defense continues to be stalwart and speedy, while Bob Zhang in net has come off his line and directed traffic confidently.
Girls Thirds Soccer:
The Deerfield 3rds soccer team took to the field for their season opener at home on September 22 against Miss Porter’s School. The rain held out and the two teams headed onto the field for what would prove to be a pretty evenly matched contest. Right from the opening whistle, Deerfield seemed eager to generate some offense. It didn’t take long for The Big Green to get on the scoreboard. At 3:05 into the game, Elena Tskhvitaria ’25 sent a beautiful pass up the right into open space that Rowan Howes ’25 ran onto and put the shot behind the net to put us up 1-0. The game went back and forth for almost 20 more minutes until Miss Porter’s found the back of the net to even the score. The tie didn’t last long, for Rowen Howes drove the game winner home 4 minutes later sending DA into half time with the 2-1 lead.
The second half saw lots of offensive opportunities on both sides, but neither team found the net. Strong defensive play by Stella Fiero ’23 and Mariam Kokosadze ’24 combined with Ainslie Kell’s ’23 performance in goal prevented Miss Porter’s from mounting a counter attack. All in all, a great first outing for the team. Next up, NMH at home on Sept. 29 at 2:30 pm.
Boys Varsity Soccer:
After a great win over Salisbury on Saturday, Deerfield looked to continue their winning ways when they traveled to Suffield to take on a young, but very talented squad. Suffield started strong and put us on our heels for a good fifteen minutes, but eventually Deerfield settled down and found the back of the net when Tino Munochiveyi ’22 finished a bouncing ball in the six yard box. From there, Big Green really found their game and took control. Nyle Kamil ’22 and Xander Grosse ’22 both scored to make it 3-0 at halftime. During the break, we all stressed the importance of starting the second half strong and adding to our lead. Deerfield did just that when Tynan Creagh ’22 scored the goal of the season on a beautiful volley from outside the box. Big green added another gorgeous goal when Nico Arce ’22 and Nyle Kamil ’22 combined for a beautiful give-and-go inside the box which Nyle finished for his second of the game.Although rocky at the start, Deerfield played very well down the stretch for a well-deserved 5-0 win.
After a 2-0-1 start to the season, Deerfield welcomed a tough and physical Brunswick team to the North Turf on Saturday. Again, Deerfield started slowly and Brunswick scored twice in the opening twenty minutes. The first was on a corner that deflected in on the near post. The second was a defensive lapse by Deerfield to make it 2-0. Big green started to possess the ball, creating some chances, and we fought back to make it 2-1 at halftime off a great free kick combination from Nico Arce ’22 and Gavin Rigney ’24, which ultimately found Tino Munochiveyi ’22 on the back post for the goal. Deerfield came out strong in the second half, but unfortunately fell victim to two more corners which both found the back of the net. Big Green did fight back on an excellent individual effort from Tino Munochiveyi ’22 to make it 4-2, but it was enough. Brunswick came away with a well-earned victory. Deerfield will look to rebound against an excellent Taft squad on Wednesday.