Caroline Cook ’15 Cole Testaiuti ’16:
Girls
Girls’ Tennis captain Caroline O’Rourke ‘14 reports that the Friday before the big match, “We usually have a team dinner and sleepover the night before for some team bonding and to get hype for the next day.” Agnes Irwin has been a big competitor for the tennis team and recent matches have been close.
Girls’ Soccer co-captain Meredith Manley ‘14 said, “Before the game on EA/AIS day, girls’ soccer listens to the speech ‘Inches’ given by Al Pacino in the movie Any Given Sunday.” Unfortunately, the team has many key players on the bench due to injury, making this game a close one. After a loss earlier this season, the team is hungry for a win during the action packed weekend. Field hockey co-captain Gianna Pileggi ‘14 explained, “Every year the varsity field hockey team goes to one of the captains’ houses the night before AIS day. The captains get plain white shirts and we each decorate our own EA field hockey t-shirt.” Co-captain Lexie Curry ‘14 added that they “all wear them (the shirts) to warm up versus AIS and we also do face paint on the day of the game.” Throughout the day all of the field hockey players are a team, they all match and sit together, not only to bond but in order to get excited for the game.
Boys
Soccer co-captain Dutch Buckley ‘14 says, “The only true annual tradition we have is probably head shaving.” Buckley continued to explain the significance of the game to the seniors, “I’d say it’s important to each senior class in their own way, uniting the seniors together and also demonstrating to the lower classmen that it’s the seniors last go-around, it’s a very emotional time for everyone involved.” The soccer team suffered a 4-1 loss in their last meeting with Haverford, and is looking to bounce back.
As for EA’s football team, “[There is] usually have a dinner the night before the actual game, that’s something that happens every year,” Evan Butts ’14, co-captain of the team, explained. Butts went on to describe last year’s dinner at the house of Jack Florio ‘15 and the sense of family that was felt amongst the seniors and the entire team. Similar to other teams, “[Football] does the freshman haircuts which is pretty big for us, the seniors and juniors giving the freshman crazy haircuts.” Butts noted that the most important thing, however, is the team being “In front of the biggest crowd, playing for the sweater.”
Andrew Jannetta, Episcopal Golf co-captain said, “We have dinner a few days before then try to get pumped up like everyone else.” When asked about the significance of the competition as a senior captain, he said, “It’s my last chance to play golf competitively, so I just want to enjoy it. I want to do well but that comes second to trying my hardest for the team that’s done so much for me.” Golf, having beat Haverford two of five times this year, is looking for another solid performance to help bring the sweater home.