Cole Testaiuti ’16: In order to develop Episcopal’s fall athletic teams, some coaches had the opportunity to kick off the year by traveling. They left to play teams and courses they had never seen before. These EA teams consisted of girl’s soccer, boy’s soccer, field hockey, boy’s golf, and girl’s water polo. Now that the trips are finished and seasons continue at school, the captains were more than happy to share their experiences with us.
From girls soccer, Maria Kilcullen ’15 said, “The trip to DC allowed the group of seven seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen to really get to know each other and develop the chemistry necessary for success.” Co-captain Lauren Repke ’15 added, “While down there (in Washington, D.C.) we took on Sidwell Friends and St. Anthony’s school. Although it was our first two games as a varsity squad, our team really started to come together and play as one. This trip proved how good we really are and I could not be more confident leading up to our inter-ac season.”
Photo Courtesy of Meghan Manley ’16
Boys soccer captain Mike Hinckley ’15 shared that, “During our second week of preseason, our team was fortunate enough to go on a weeklong trip to North Carolina. We went down with a team comprised of ten upperclassmen and thirteen underclassmen. The younger players held their own in all our games and proved to be as technically sound as the returning players. We played very well in all four games and were able to keep up a shutout all week thanks to both sophomore goalkeepers Matt Freese and AJ Marcucci. Junior Matt DePillis and sophomore Ramon Gallegos chipped in two goals apiece. Our starting lineup is coming together and is a balanced mix of all four classes. We had a very successful week and know what to work on going forward. Our goal is to win the Inter-Ac, which we feel is completely in our control this season.”
Field hockey captains Ali Rushton ’15 and Christy Palazzese ’15 reflected on their “adventure” to England saying, “The trip was overall a success. We explored the historic cities of England and overlooked the city of London from the London Eye. However, playing field hockey in England truly made our experience special. We had the opportunity to be coached by the national field hockey coach of England. He helped us defeat Marlow and Reading hockey clubs and leave England with an undefeated record. Our experience in England was very special because our team created a very unique bond that will be with us throughout the season and hopefully help us win the Inter-ac and PAISSA tournament this year.”
Girl’s water polo captains Anna Jarvis and Emma Vadot shared, “We started our training off in Orlando, Florida at Lake Highland Preparatory School. The week was filled with hard work but also many team-bonding activities. The trip pushed our team to the limits. We learned a lot about sportsmanship, hard work, and determination, which will set us up for an extremely successful season. We scrimmaged against Orlando’s toughest teams, and although we were fresh in the season, we put up a good fight. It was very exciting, as captains, to watch over the first team in EA Water Polo history to begin the year with a trip.”
Golf co-captain Trey Croney told us that, “Taking a trip to Florida was the best possible way for the golf team to begin it’s 2014 campaign. Playing seventy-two holes of golf in four days not only tightened the relationships between players but also gave us plenty of reps going into a hopeful season. After a few years of lackluster play, we feel confident in our ability to compete for an inter-ac title. Handing Conestoga it’s first loss in two years is just how we envisioned the season beginning after a great trip and plenty of hard work in the past year.”