Maggie Dugery ‘23
Sarah Kotapka ‘23
Each fall, captains, teammates, spectators, coaches, and faculty come together to play, cheer, and (hopefully) win against The Haverford School and Agnes Irwin in the biggest athletic weekend of the school year: EA/AIS/Haverford Weekend. However, the stands are not only filled with current EA students and faculty, but also with spirited alumni who continue to return to support EA’s teams at the games.
Brian FitzPatrick ‘05, a Cornell graduate, reflects on his first time experiencing the rivalry weekend, saying, “As a freshman new to EA, I knew that Haverford was our rival in all sports but it didn’t really sink in how big the rivalry was until the week leading up to it.” He continues, “The spirit days and all of the excitement and energy that built up during that week was the first sign that this was different from other big games.”
FitzPatrick also reminisces on one of his favorite memories from the weekend, sharing, “The clock on the scoreboard turned to zero and we had not only defeated Haverford but clinched the Inter-ac title for the first time in a long time. There were so many emotions at that moment but that was immediately followed by the realization that a wave of students and alumni had rushed the field to celebrate winning the Sweater.”
Similarly, Neha Mukherjee ‘18, Former Tennis Captain, remembers celebrating with her teammates when they won the Banner. She shares, “Being able to win as a team against Agnes Irwin and help contribute to the school clenching the Banner was such an amazing feeling. It filled me with a rush of excitement and pride for Episcopal.”
The weekend has significance not only for the players, but for the entire EA community. FitzPatrick adds, “It was such a cool experience to stand back and think that our team had played a part in winning something that was so much bigger than just us. It meant so much to people younger and older than us and it was a very cool feeling to watch that all happen as we shook hands right as the game ended.”
Former Cross-Country Captain and EA graduate Jill McEntee ‘21 agrees with FitzPatrick’s sentiment. She reflects, “I participated in EA/AIS/HAV day since I was in Pre-K when the seniors would come down and visit and we would do all of these different chants and wave our pom-poms around.”
After a year’s hiatus, student-athletes are anxiously awaiting the return of the annual competition. Riley Thibodeau ‘23, a member of the girl’s water polo team, remarks on the spirit of the activities with a smile, saying, “I’m incredibly excited for EA/Haverford/AIS day to return! It’s such an important tradition for our school, and it’s really meaningful to me that alumni come back to watch. I can’t wait to watch the Blue and White take the Banner and the Sweater again!”
While earning the banner and sweater are key goals, Fitzpatrick highlights that he now realizes that it is not the most important part of the weekend, noting, “As a spectator and alumni, I’ve realized how much there is to that day in terms of rivalry and celebration for everyone who has ever been a part of both schools.”
McEntee shares FitzPatrick’s feelings about the weekend and expresses that she is looking forward to coming back and watching the games as a spectator in the future. She shares, “Participating in the weekend was always really fun as an athlete and student, and I loved seeing how it brought the entire community together. I can’t wait to return as an alum to cheer on the cross country team and watch the competitions… EA/AIS/Haverford weekend has always been one of my favorite events of the year and now I have so many amazing memories from them.”
Photo courtesy of EA Communications