This Deerfield Day, Varsity Field Hockey took a tough loss against Deerfield, ending the game at 8-0. The Choate team played well defensively but struggled to advance the ball into its offensive zone. Starting off the first half, Deerfield took early control of the game, forcing Choate to focus on defensive stops and clearing the ball upfield. By the tail end of the first half, Choate was trailing 4-0.
A minute into the second half, Deerfield got off a shot on goal that was deflected by defender Hadley Rogers ’21, before Deerfield picked up the rebound and scored. Soon, Choate began to lose its defensive momentum and failed to clear the ball from its half.
Four minutes later, Deerfield scored again, leaving Choate trailing by six points. With nearly 25 minutes left in the final half, Choate had a turnover leading to two open shots on goal, both saved by goalie and co-captain Gina Driscoll ’20. The team continued to fight defensively but again lost possession of the ball.
After this goal, Choate seemed to regroup, quickly pushing the ball upfield and getting a shot on goal from midfielder Claire Gavin ’21. However, Deerfield deflected the shot before pushing the ball back upfield themselves. Rogers again saved a shot after the goalie made a lunging save. Deerfield earned another penalty shot and converted the attempt, giving the team a 8-0 lead. For the remaining seven minutes, Choate was able to hold them off, ending the game at an eight-point deficit.
Although Choate played strong defense, their lack of offensive capabilities allowed Deerfield to get too many shots on goal and more scoring opportunities.
