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Field Hockey 11–3–1 New England Quarterfinals This talented team had the firepower to go all the way to the title game. Before the season began Taft put together an encouraging scrimmage win over eventual New England champion Hotchkiss, and they ended with a fierce 0–0 tie with the top-ranked rivals from Lakeville. Behind strong wins over Deerfield (3– 1) and Loomis (2–1), Taft earned a no. 5 ranking among New England prep schools. The first-round 3–1 loss to Greenwich Academy was a great game, but things just didn’t bounce Taft’s way around the goal. Abby Hine ’07 was again the team’s leading scorer with 8 goals and 5 assists, finishing her career with 46 points. Heidi Woodworth and Penelope Smith were four-year varsity players and will be sorely missed, as will goalie Emily Neilson ’07, who earned six shutouts this year. 16 Taft Bulletin Winter 2007
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Wrap-up
Boys’ Soccer 9–5–4 Will Orben’s squad put up a 9–1–4 record heading into the final stretch of the season, including impressive 1–0 wins over Avon and Deerfield. Things looked good for a solid tournament berth after a 0–0 tie with Andover, a 4–0 win over Salisbury, and 3–0 win over Kent. Yet, the final games against Choate (1–2), Loomis (0–1), and Hotchkiss (1–2) proved to be unkind for Taft in the final score, even if the Rhinos had a clear chance to win each of those games. Gordon Atkins ’07 dominated the midfield all season, and Pete James ’07 (7 goals), Dan Lima ’09 (6), Nico Baecker ’08 (6), and Clancy Purcell ’07 (6) provided the fireworks up front. Peter Northrup ’07 in goal, and Oat Naviroj ’07, Courtney Morris ’07, Bart Cerf ’07, and Gus Thompson ’07 were strong on defense. Talented juniors Cam Mathis and Ollie Mittag will lead next year’s team.
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Girls’ Soccer 6–5–4 Taft secured a winning record with their best game of the season, a strong 3–1 win over Hotchkiss on the final day. Their rivals were bound for the semifinals of the New England tournament, but it was the Rhinos who dominated the game, with goals by Katie Bergeron ’07 (2) and Jen Piperno ’09. Other highlights include wins over Berkshire (6–0), Kent (3–2), and a well-executed 2–0 victory over a talented Hopkins team. Perhaps the most exciting game was the 2–2 tie with Choate when Bridget Sylvester ’08 scored with 10 seconds left. Colleen Sweeney ’07 and Ashleigh Kowtoniuk ’08 played well all season in net, while captain Holly Donaldson ’07 directed the defense. Kerry Scalora ’10 (11 goals) and Bergeron ’07 (10) were the team’s leading scorers.