Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
JV Football: Defensive Unit
The JV Football Doors of the Week is the whole Big Green defensive unit. In the team’s first game against Avon, the defense only gave up 1 first down the entire game. Coaches Gordoa and Hallwood managed this group! Great work everyone!
Varsity Volleyball: Elle Stearns ’23
Door of the week goes to Elle Stearns. Elle is an important senior leader on the team and provides a calming presence in an often chaotic sport. She is always dependable in the back row as both a passer and a server. On Saturday, she started the deciding set against BB&N with 10 serves in a row. Elle’s quiet confidence helps to center the team and provides the backbone for our offense. In practice, Elle is always focused on improving herself and pushing her team. She is a great leader by example and will be a huge part of the team’s success.
Girls Thirds Volleyball: Janis Zempare ’26
Thirds Volleyball would like Janis Zempare for DOTW. Janis has made big improvements in her game over the last several weeks. She is becoming particularly confident and adept at playing the net. Furthermore, the joy she conveys during play and her excitement at her successes are a delight to witness.
Boys JV Soccer: Kiefer Ebling ’25
Kiefer has been stalwart as an outside back. He shut down NMH attackers time and again in that tight 2-2 tie, stepping assertively into passing lanes, distributing the ball calmly to feet, and handling throw-ins smartly. He has emerged as a reliable, possession-oriented defender whose positioning and decision-making force attackers to turn around, hasten passes, and play into less dangerous spaces. At Brunswick, after more excellent play, Kiefer took an elbow to the cheek and lay on the grass for a good while before making his way to the bench. He sat out the rest of the game with a good bruise, taking his time with the trainer to be sure no concussion symptoms arose. Back at practice on Monday, he re-asserted himself and played well not only on the wing-back but also in the center of the midfield. We are all admiring Kiefer’s balance, competitiveness, and consistent team-play as he continues to grow as a player.
Theater: Hannah Horner ’25
Although this is not the first time we have seen Hannah on stage, this is certainly her biggest acting role yet. Often the first to rehearsal, Hannah arrives with her customary cheerful nature and infectious positivity. She is a focused, mature and popular company member, and we applaud her ability to explore and take bold risks with her acting choices. Hannah, thank you for your joyful contributions to our ensemble and your dedication to Radium Girls.
JV Field Hockey: Linnea Dreslin ’24
Linnea Dreslin ’24 is this week’s JV FH DOTW. Linnea was a key player for us in our game against Hotchkiss this past Saturday. She held down the middle of the field with her stick skills and unwavering hustle, helping to keep Hotchkiss scoreless across both halves. She also assisted Deerfield’s only goal of the game! Beyond her commanding presence on the field, Linnea is also a superb teammate. She comes to every practice ready to give it her all and has an inclusive, positive energy on and off the field. Always happy to help new players develop their skills and always motivated to improve her own, she leads by example every day. We are so lucky to have Linnea on the team!
Varsity Football: Will Sutman ‘23
Will Sutman was the Door of the Week for the Football team for his efforts up front against Williston. Will paced our offensive and added great effort and physicality on defense. His tenacious efforts showed throughout the game and we are excited to see him continue to block and tackle with a purpose.
Boys Water Polo: Kenan Cakir ’24
Bravely stepping into the goalkeeper’s role to fill the team’s need, Kenan Cakir ’24 has more than risen to the challenge. He trained throughout the summer and returned to campus fully prepared to handle the key responsibilities of providing the last line of defense and initiating the offense counterattack. He plays and practices with a resilient spirit.
Strength & Conditioning: Donovan Woods ’23
For this week’s DOTW Strength and Conditioning is nominating Donovan Woods, Donovan is a senior and is on the wrestling and track and field team. He is a hardworking and determined young man how always has a smile on his face. He has worked very hard with the strength staff to get ready for the wrestling season. And we believe with his positive mindset he can achieve anything.
Varsity Field Hockey: Haley Abraham ‘25 and Kate MacKenzie ‘24
Haley had a standout game against a strong Hotchkiss team. She stepped to every ball outside of our defensive circle and came up with a number of huge stops for our defensive unit, ultimately contributing to our 7-2 victory. She has continued to improve as the season has progressed, and we are excited to see what she can do moving forward!
Kate also had a great game against Hotchkiss. She maintained great intensity while also keeping her composure for the entirety of our game. She contributed to the strong play in the midfield by distributing the ball with ease and carrying the ball with confidence around defenders. Additionally, Kate shows up to practice with 100% effort every single day. She leads by example with her play as well as her focused and positive attitude.
Great work, Haley and Kate!
Boys Junior A Soccer: Bryan Gianvecchio ’26
Bryan is a terrifically skilled soccer player whose beautiful goal at Taft on Saturday helped us start our season in the win column. But even more impressive is how, as a ninth grader, he has quietly emerged as a leader on the team through his focused work during drills, his warm connection with his teammates, and his selfless willingness to volunteer to pick up supplies and clean up at the end of practice. We’re excited to cheer Bryan on in what we’re sure will be a break-out season!
Girls Varsity Soccer: Mia Goetzke ‘24
The girls varsity soccer Door of the Week is Mia Goetzke ‘24. This season Mia has continued to grow every time she has stepped onto the field in both practice and games. She’s a fearless defender with great anticipation balanced with patient defending. She’s embraced taking on the new role of being designated to take the team’s free kicks and goal kicks over the past week. She has made an impact with her communication on and off the field and her positive energy! We look forward to Mia’s continued growth over the course of the season!
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Matias Cushman ’25
Matias Cushman is the quad squad DOTW. He scored the winning goals in both of our games this week, including an early candidate for goal of the year against Avon.