Middle School Sports Shine at Home

The eighth grade boys soccer, field hockey and volleyball teams all recorded victories over their respective opponents, showcasing a perfect blend of skill, teamwork and talent in the process.

The eighth grade boys soccer team kicked it off with a 4-0 win over Cathedral School on Reunion Field. Playmaking midfielder David Firsenbaum ’29 powered the Panthers with a hat-trick. Speedy striker Simon Dorment ’29 added a goal and keeper Alexander Xia ’29 anchored the defense to record a clean sheet. 

"This match was a great culmination of our season's goals: playing as a team, staying calm under pressure, and trusting in each other," said coach Mike Conte, who also credited defenders Toby Milward ’29 and Hunter Smith ’29 for their strong build-up play out of the back. "The team has performed really well this fall. There were some memorable matches, including a very close game against a strong Brunswick team. The players have really come together and showcased their skills. There are no egos — just results and the desire to improve, day in and day out."

Field hockey, meanwhile, shut out Fieldston, 3-0, on the turf at Greene Family Field. Jack Barek ’29, Angus McCallum ’29 and Lorenzo Zapata ’29 scored one goal apiece to power the offense. 

"Our passing and communication in the midfield were especially stellar," coach Abbe Montaldo said. "All of the players hustled and worked hard the entire game — and with no subs!"

Montaldo reflected on what's been a special year with a special group.

"Their positivity and support for one another is unmatched, and it's something I haven’t seen in my nearly 15 years of coaching different levels of different sports at various schools," she said. "It’s a really special team and we’ll miss our eighth graders tremendously next year."

Volleyball closed out the perfect afternoon with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Greenwich Country Day School at the Fonseca Center. 

Masters opened with a narrow 27-25 victory in the first set, dropped the second, 25-18, but bounced back with a 25-14 in the third and final set to seal it. Wave Beckwith ’29 led the squad with three aces and one kill. 

"The middle school volleyball team is a cohesive coed group of motivated players," coach Diane Scott said. "They have been focused and hard-working all season. Now, as we approach the end, they are seeing the fruits of their labor. The team went into the game with GCDS confident they could get a win. It took everyone cooperating and communicating to pull it off. It was a true team effort."

It marked the second consecutive victory for the Panthers, who went on the road to defeat Holy Child, 2-0 (25-14, 28-26), on October 30.