As the spring term comes to a close, so too does the Groton athletics calendar. The 2016-17 athletics season has seen many incredible plays, sending senior off with medals and memories. Below, we trace some of the best moments in Groton sports this year.

In the fall, boys varsity soccer brought the Wiedergott Cup back to the Circle, beating St. Mark’s in the last game of the season. The game was tied 2-2 after the end of the regulation game, the two goals were scored by Tyler Brooks ’17 and Walker Davey ’19. Though the game was officially recorded as a tie due to ISL rules, Groton won in penalty kicks, besting St. Mark’s for the second consecutive year.

Girls varsity soccer notched notable wins against Andover and St. Paul’s, two perennial soccer heavyweights. The season culminated in a tie against St. Mark’s, who ended up reaching the ISL playoffs. “Our younger players improved and gained a greater confidence to come back even better next year,” said forward Caitlyn DiSarcina ’17, who has committed to play soccer at Butler University next year. “Part of their improvement,” she said, “came from a strong and talented senior class, who was dedicated and excited for every game.”

In the winter, boys varsity hockey capped off their season with a stunning 4-3 overtime win against St. Mark’s. Groton, at one point losing 1-3, fought its way back up and Santeri Hartikainen ‘18 scored the game winning goal with two and a half seconds remaining in overtime. Santi reflected on scoring the incredible goal, saying he “got the puck in the slot and took a shot”. When asked about his strategy, he responded succinctly: “Spray and pray.”

Girls varsity basketball made playoffs this year, led by captains Kai Volcy ’17 and Alyna Baharozian ’18. As one of few Groton teams who advance so far, they brought a huge crowd across town to Lawrence Academy, where they lost a close game in one of their strongest efforts of the season. “This season was the most fun out of any season I’ve been a part of at Groton,” said Alyna. “The team camaraderie was unbelievable, and it was amazing to finally make the playoffs.”

Boys varsity baseball has been developing their younger players this year. Their highlight so far is their game against Andover, currently ranked second in New England, which resulted in a 3-3 tie after ten innings. “The season hasn’t been as good as we wanted it to be, but we have a lot of young talent,” said shortstop Bennett Smith ’19. He then asserted his belief that Groton’s baseball team would continue to improve as the years go on.

Girls varsity crew has had a successful start to their season against stiff competition. They started their season strong, sweeping Buckingham Browne and Nichols’ team and beating St. Mark’s’ top three boats. “The league has gotten incredibly faster this year, and many teams are improving,” said coach Tiffany Doggett. The team is led by captains Verity Lynch ’17, Eleonor Wolf ’17, and Hallie Bereday ’17.

The 2016-2017 athletic year has been an especially strong one for the Zebras. Even the less-successful seasons ended with a bang, resulting in Groton’s winning both our fall and winter rivalry days against St. Mark’s. Congratulations to all those who played in St. Mark’s games and put everything out on the field for one last hoorah with the Class of 2017.