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Weekly Athletics Update—Nov. 15, 2021
Weekly Athletics Update—Nov. 15, 2021
The fall season concluded on Saturday with our annual season-ending Cushing weekend, save for our football contest against the Berkshire School. Additionally, as is the case every fall the New England Cross Country Championships took place at the Williston School on the final Saturday in the fall season. While final individual times and team scores await, our order of finish on the boys’ side saw senior Aiden Warner once again leading the way, followed by Abhiram Singh, Stephen Zhang and Roman Fechner. Ella Budzinski ’25 was the 1st cross country runner to cross the tape on the girls’ side but once again received strong support from Renee Coutinho, Ellianna Gelardi, Anastasia Novikova and Cynthia Jia.
- Boys’ soccer finished undefeated (14-0-3) racing past Suffield (7-1) and Cushing (5-0) to put an exclamation point on a very special season. Balance, a propensity to share and move the ball and outstanding team defense have been a recipe for success all season. The team will look to capture back-to-back Class A Championships when they open defense of their 2019 crown on Wednesday, hosting BB&N at 4:30 p.m. The game will be played at Morse Field.
- Girls’ soccer ran their overall record to 15-1-1, posting wins over St Mark’s by a 3-1 count and Cushing 5-0. It was the 12th shutout recorded during this amazing season which kicks into high gear on Wednesday as the # 2 seeded Hilltoppers host the # 7 seeded, Hotchkiss School. Game time is 2:00 p.m. and will be played at Morse Field.
- Volleyball finished with an impressive 11-7 overall record and landed just outside the 8 team Class B NEPSAC Tournament. A string of mid-season wins and a strong showing at Lawrence Academy on Wednesday put the team in position to secure the final play-off spot. Cushing Academy, however, regrouped after dropping the 1st set and sent the Hilltoppers home with a tough 3-1 defeat.
- Varsity field hockey stayed strong throughout a difficult season and unfortunately were not rewarded in the home finale, dropping a decision to Cushing Academy. With a strong nucleus returning next season and a young group who played a lot of minutes as well, there is optimism about a quick return to competitiveness for the 2022 season.
- Football will follow a similar path looking to build on their 2021 campaign. Depth, size and athleticism are the key ingredients to any successful program and the recruiting process will add pieces to the excellent foundation established in this, our 1st year as an Evergreen member. We all saw the quality of play and the work that will be on-going as Football looks to recapture the magic. We identified some young, committed student-athletes who will continue to grow in the off-season and dedicate themselves to a winning 2022 campaign.
Sub-Varsity Programs:
Our girls’ JV soccer program concluded one of the most successful turnarounds in recent years finishing their season with a 7-1-1 record.
On the boys’ JV side, despite a late season losing streak – albeit against some formidable clubs – there was a discernible improvement in the level of team play and the resultant won-loss record (7-6-1).
Our JV volleyball team experienced a tough season but maintained a very high level of enthusiasm and excitement throughout the year!
To conclude our fall season, we salute all our athletes and thank them for their time and commitment to their respective teams. Athletes define success in different ways, and a “successful” season may not always be measured simply by your won-loss record. It has been satisfying to merely complete this season given the 2020 campaign, so the growth, dedication and resolve demonstrated by our student-athletes in the face of an on-going pandemic is noteworthy. From afar, it has been fun to see the excitement and the joy that most of our athletes’ experience when they earn a roster spot on one of our teams. As we head towards the Thanksgiving season let’s all be thankful for the opportunities this past season presented and be grateful for whatever contributions we were able to make with the gifts we were given.
