Written by Sara Younk’19
A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to sit down with Mrs. Hanby and Mrs. Paul to talk about our wonderful girls JV soccer team and ask them a few questions about the coming year.
What are your expectations for the team for this season?
Mrs. Paul pointed to our low num
bers saying that, though it will be challenging, she does see this season as promising. Paul reflected on our first game saying “if we take that work ethic and perseverance into the rest of our season, then we will have to work hard but will also be very successful.” Mrs. Hanby added that though she also recognized the small size of our team, she didn’t see it as something to really be harped on. She also added that she expects us to “maintain the level of teamwork and comradery” that she has seen in the team.
How do you think introducing the new players to the team is going?
“It’s been pretty seamless really,” said Hanby, “they fit in well with the team and have helped contribute to the dynamic.” The team is always encouraging and welcoming to new girls whether they are new to Hebron, new to high school, or have never played soccer before. There’s always a feeling of acceptance to the team and a lot of teammate to teammate coaching happening.
Are there any differences in strategies this year?
This year the formation during games has changed from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3. Paul says that even though we have a small team, the different skill sets will fit nicely into the formation. The goal is to work on improving the offensive strategy where attention in previous years was more centered on the defense.
What have you seen for improvements this year in comparison to past years?
Though this question was a bit difficult to answer due to how early in the season it is, Paul says that our defense was strong last year with help from Riley New and has further improved with newer members like Morgan Bussiere. She says she has also seen improvements within those who have stuck with the team with a shout out to Tess Gregory who, Paul says, “has made a lot of progress in her time with us”. While we do have some very skilled newcomers both Paul and Hanby agree that no matter what skill level you entered with, the vast majority of girls who have stuck by the team have made great improvements.
What do you want people to see in this article about our team?
Hanby followed up this question with an immediate response of “I think the coaches are pretty awesome” and, if you’ve ever met Mrs. Paul and Mrs. Hanby, you’d definitely have to agree. “The love that the coaches have for each other” was Paul’s first response which goes along well with the overall feeling of the team. The term “soccer fam” has been used many times during our practices and games, which I think accurately describes the family-like feeling of the team. We may have our quarrels and disagreements, but we always stick by each other when it counts. If there’s anything you as readers should see is that our team’s a team, and it is a bond like no other.
ared to last year’s group of eighteen, but they are definitely no less of a team. Almost every player has prior experience on the field, both at Hebron and in earlier schools and programs. This year’s single newcomer also plays ice hockey, so she is learning the sport quickly. In fact, on the first day of preseason, the team skipped over the normal tutorials and instructions and simply scrimmaged for an hour, something that rarely happens so early in the season. Since then, the team has been honing skills such as stick work, dodging, and passing. 
This year’s cross country team is comprised of over fifteen students from a wide variety of backgrounds. It is truly one of the most underrated sports at Hebron Academy, and the bond that we build together running through the trails every single day is truly unique. People often do not understand what cross country really is all about; cross country is wheezing your way through the fourth kilometer of a race, using every ounce of life left in you to make it up the hill, all while three people are breathing down your neck waiting for the moment to pass you. This season has been a great one for our squad. We have competed in two races so far, and have many more ahead on our schedule. We look forward to competing in MAISADS, and hopefully, New Englands at the end of the season.
Hebron women’s soccer team started off the season with the mentality of wrapping up some unfinished business. As last year’s team made it to the New England finals but lost, this year’s team is looking to take it home. This year has a very strong team dynamic with a core group of returners that really set the tone in the beginning of the season. Strong leadership, high goals, and expectations pushed all new members so that we could start with success right off the bat. On another positive note, we have many new players to add to the roster this year including Logan Arseneau, Lillian Bergeron, Emily Mccarthy, Te’a Miles, Adrianna Roy, Iman Shepard, Aarti Singh, Allyson Walsh, and Su Yagmur Kucukakyuz as our manager. These new players have contributed a lot of great character to our team, and we were all excited to welcome so many new teammates!