Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Girls JV Soccer: Maddie Sofer ’21, Kristine Yang ’21, Emma Tennant ’21 and Maddie Pool ’21
This Week’s Door of the Week goes out to our senior leadership. It’s not easy to captain a team during a global pandemic, but Maddie Sofer ’21, Kristine Yang ’21, Emma Tennant ’21, and Maddie Pool ’21, have been outstanding in the face of adversity. They have kept spirits high, as well as engaged with everyone on the team, connecting with every new student and all their returning teammates. They are the heart and soul of our team, leading warm ups, creating team bonding activities, and keeping the atmosphere light. On the field, they all have a strong presence, and have been key players in our inter-squad scrimmages. We will miss them next year, and are thankful for their time with JV soccer!
Water Polo: Coach Jason Cook & Coach Ari Evans
The players extend their appreciation to Coach Jason Cook (White) and Coach Ari Evans (Green), who so ably guided their squads with a blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and encouragement.
Boys Cross-Country: Thomas Harrick ’23, Paul de Bruyn Kops ’24, Ephraim Tutu ’24, Mike Lee ’24
The boys cross-country door of the week nomination goes to the Shin and Ankle Awareness Group (SaAAG, for short) who put in epic performances for their timed mile this past Saturday. I’m copying my description of the race from the write-up above: the “Shin and Ankle Awareness Group,” a stalwart collection of student-athletes who have been working through injury for nearly the entire season, took to the track for a mile time trial. Each of these runners set out with a plan to beat their season best, and all four came home successful. Thomas Harrick ’23 won the race with a 30 second PR, Paul de Bruyn Kops ’24 came in second with a 46 second PR, Ephraim Tutu ’24 nearly caught Paul with a whopping 2 minute and 2 second PR, and Mike Lee ’24 rounded out the field with a 56 second PR. This group’s remarkable effort and achievement is a credit to their steady dedication to their goals of finding health and improving fitness.
Varsity Field Hockey: Lauren Smith ’24
Lauren Smith ‘24, our first-year goal keeper has been a steady force for the White team all season. She plays like a seasoned goalie and has nerves and reflexes that allow her to play under pressure, stop penalty strokes from talented stick-handlers, and shut-down offensive corners at the goal-line. On skills day, she held a plank in goalie equipment for five plus minutes to try to help her team pull-out the win. Lauren has learned from goal-tending next to our senior captain. We will lean on her to help anchor our defense in the seasons ahead.
Boys Jr. A Soccer: Carson Belaire ’23
As the season opened, we looked first to our returners to lead the team and next to the Junior B veterans, who were advancing a level this year. Little did we know a new Deerfield student would emerge as the beating heart of the club. Carson was a dream to coach: always arriving early, always running hard, always offering to help clean up, and never without a smile—except when he brought his stone-faced intensity to even the least exciting drill. He propped his teammates up and never sought the spotlight for himself. That made it all the more gratifying to see him score a goal for the winning team in their one-score victory at our final Green and White game on Saturday. Thirds was lucky to have Carson this year, and so is Deerfield.
Boys JV Soccer: Vignana Kamarthi ’24 & Peter Kurto ’23
While the whole team is worthy of recognition for their hard work, positive attitude, and growth this season, two players in particular stand out for their consistent effort and focus at practice. First-year student, Vignana Kamarthi was a versatile player that came to practice eager to improve in every aspect of his game, each and every day this fall. It was no surprise, then, that he was invited to join the Boys Varsity team toward the end of the season for a captain’s practice. His commitment to improving, while also enjoying his time on the pitch with his peers, was nothing short of exemplary.
Second-year, Peter Kurto is also our Door of the Week. Hard working yet quiet, Kurto led by example throughout the season– whether he was warming up with purpose, chasing down a loose ball, or playing fairly against opposing players. Kurto was also one of our most reliable teammates, and most coachable players, and not to mention, one of our season’s most prolific goal scorers! The DA soccer program is lucky to have players like Kurto.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Class of 2021!
Although not able to compete on the field this season, Lilly Berry plays the game with fierceness and strength. She doesn’t shy away from hard tackles on defense and she takes advantage of these wins to run up the wing and deliver dangerous crosses into the box. We will miss you, Lilly.
Ruby Chase led with unshakable spirit and hard work. Her speed on the attack and ability to anticipate led to many goal scoring opportunities. Thanks for setting a great example, Ruby!
Angie Czeremcha competed and practiced with so much heart and support of her teammates. Her cheers lifted everyone’s spirits. She continued to work on coming out 1v1 in the box and made many incredible saves, getting a hand on the ball to knock it away. Thanks for being a positive role model, Angie!
Ingrid Matteini’s joy in playing the game of soccer has always been palpable. She fights hard to win balls in the midfield and distributes beautifully to her teammates to make chances happen on the attack. Thanks for your leadership, Ingrid!
Jaxon Palmer’s speed on the wing has been a huge asset to our team and it has been fun to see her improve so dramatically on her first touch and read of the field. Her dangerous crosses and her steady support of her teammates will be missed! Thanks for all of your hard work, Jaxon.
Angie Rey brought skilled footwork and quickness to our midfield. She is a competitor on attack and defense, hungry for scoring opportunities. Her drive and desire to get better set a great example for her teammates. We will miss you, Angie!
Haley Sundstrom has been an anchor in our defensive line. She understands the tactics of pressure-cover-balance and was a helpful voice in training younger players in the back this year. She plays the position with grit, sticking through hard tackles and stopping at nothing to shut down an offensive attack. Thanks for your hard work this season, Haley!
Dev Trice plays the game with heart and strategy. Her vision of the field and confidence in her first touch have grown significantly over the past couple seasons, leading to some smooth connecting passes and overlapping runs through the midfield this year. Thanks for making practices joyful and productive this season, Dev!
Emma Visnapuu brings lightness and competitive spirit to practice, lifting up her teammates. She has played the role of center back with decisiveness and flexibility, learning to adjust shape with three vs. four in the back line – not an easy challenge! Emma, thanks for bringing so much heart to the field every day.
Theater Program: Blair Huang ’22
Blair is the outstanding Music Director for the fall production of “Frankenstein”. Consistently cheerful and positive, Blair radiates pure joy and she is a superb company member! Blair was responsible for adding a crucial layer to the production by providing musical underscoring. This was a significant undertaking, but Blair went about this task with her customary energy and enthusiasm. Piano selections was meticulously researched, and then Blair learned each piano piece before playing them live during the recordings. Mozart, Brahms, Liszt, Beethoven and Mendelssohn are a few of the composers she featured. “Frankenstein” simply would not be as atmospheric as it is without Blaire’s tireless effort. She is an exceptional young artist, and we look forward to witnessing her future contributions to the Theater Program.
Boys Varsity Soccer: Billy Curtis ’21 & Kade Goldberg ’21
Billy Curtis and Kade Goldberg for showing their true character during times of adversity and demonstrating to the rest of our team what it means to bleed green. We were lucky to have them as our captains this year and will be better for it as we prepare for the 2021 season.
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Moises Castillo ’23
Moises Castillo is the Boys Jr. B Soccer Door of the Week! Moises began this season with the intention of being our team manager. While he indeed carried out this duty, schlepping balls and cones to and from every single practice without complaint, Moises also became a valuable member of our team as a field player. His soccer skills improved tremendously throughout the season as he was always eager to grow and learn more about the game. Moises scored several key goals for his teams in World Cup matches and 2v2 games and proved to be a versatile teammate stepping into both defense and midfield positions in our Green and White scrimmages. Congrats Moises on being named this season’s final Quad Squad DOTW!
Thirds Volleyball: Simi Lawal ’23 and Hannah McKie ’22
Simi gives her all, always. This week was no exception. She hustles (and often dives) for every ball, whether the team is winning or losing, and she encourages her teammates.
Hannah is a wonderful leader to her team. She has improved her setting on the court and has been steadfast in support of her younger teammates on the bench. She has a positive energy that resonates with everyone. She does not give up and is a model of a team player.
JV Field Volleyball: Abby Persons ’21, Emma Weech ’21, Jessie Rooney ’21 and Angie Osei-Ampadu ’21
JV Volleyball’s “Doors of the Week” are our team Captains (Abby Persons, Emma Weech, Jessie Rooney and Angie Osei-Ampadu). Collectively, these girls spent 13 seasons on JV Volleyball. Each of them added something special to our team. We thank them for their dedication to our team, for being leaders and friends, and for always having fun, win or lose.
Football: Class of 2021
We are so proud of this year’s senior class who over the course of their 4 years on campus posted an impressive 20-8 record. They have raised the bar for the future Deerfield football program.