The 48th Annual New England Junior School Soccer Tournament at Eaglebrook

The 48th annual Junior School Soccer Tournament, hosted by Eaglebrook, took place on Saturday, November 4. The event gathered Junior Boarding School soccer programs from across the Northeast, including Cardigan Mountain School, Fessenden School, Fay School, Rumsey Hall, and Indian Mountain School. This tournament is a showcase of young talent and a testament to the region's passion for the sport. Despite the unpredictable New England weather in early November, Mother Nature cooperated this year, blessing the tournament with a perfect late fall day.

The tournament started with pool play, and the Eaglebrook varsity team had a slow start against the team from Cardigan. However, they showed resilience and determination, finishing pool play on a strong note. Indian Mountain School and Cardigan emerged as the top seeds from the pool play, earning a bye for the next round. As the tournament progressed into the afternoon elimination games, the level of competition reached new heights.

In the semi-finals, the Eaglebrook varsity squad displayed remarkable skill and teamwork, but they narrowly fell to Indian Mountain with a final score of 1-2. On the other side of the bracket, Fessenden secured a victory over Cardigan in a closely contested semi-final game. The stage was set for the Championship game, where Fessenden faced Indian Mountain in an intense showdown. In a thrilling match, Fessenden emerged victorious with a 1-0 win, securing the title and the accolades that came with it.

While Eaglebrook may not have clinched the tournament victory, they left an indelible mark on the event. Their exceptional sportsmanship throughout the tournament did not go unnoticed, as they were voted by the officials as the team with the highest level of sportsmanship. As a testament to their exemplary conduct, they were awarded the Karl J. Koenigsbauer Sportsmanship Award for the day. See pictures from the day here.