During the Unified soccer team’s Senior Night game on Oct. 13, the field and the surrounding fence were decorated with red and blue balloons and 13 large painted signs, one for each of the team’s graduating seniors.

Before the game began, all senior athletes and helpers on both the LHS and ConVal teams were called onto the field and presented with a rose . Most of the seniors had family members accompany them onto the field, and those whose  family members were unable to attend were accompanied by a friend.

“We always say that unified is a family,” said unified soccer coach Mrs. Tebbetts. “When you see them lined up on the field like that all together, it validates the feelings that we’re a family. When people join into this program, they join a family.”

After many hugs were exchanged and pictures were taken, it was time to start the game.

Before stepping out onto the field, the team gathered together and cheered in unison “Lancers what is your profession? Hoo Hoo Hoo! Go Lancers.” This cheer, based on a cheer from junior goalie Nate Gadzik’s favorite movie 300, has been chanted at the beginning of every United game for the past two seasons. Last year, Gadzik proposed the idea of doing the cheer to the team, and it has stuck ever since.

“Everyone got so hyped up that we decided might as well keep doing it,” said senior helper Laynie Holk.

In the first half of the game, ConVal managed to get four goals while LHS only got the ball close to the net a few times. However, the sidelines never went silent as fans, helpers, and athletes alike never lost hope and never stopped cheering.

In the second half of the game, sophomore athlete Cody Therrien scored three goals and junior athlete Kasey Stratton scored one.

“It doesn’t get old when you watch Kasey score a goal,” Tebbetts said. “The excitement she gives off when she scores is heartwarming.”    

Despite the team’s strong second half, ConVal ended up winning 5-4. However, the team’s loss to ConVal is just a small mark on what has been an impressive season with the team winning four out of six games and tying once against Nashua South.  

This success isn’t surprising since the team has made the playoffs every year since they have been established.  While they struggled to make it through the first round in the past, last year the team broke this streak and made it into the second round, the furthest they have gone. This year, the team is hoping to go even further, and since they began the season with a four-game winning streak, they just might have a chance.

“[Having a four-game winning streak] has never happened before,” said senior helper Olivia Gvanan. “The team is really excited, and it means a lot to them to be a part of this.”  

The team’s successful season has much to do with the bonds that have formed among the team’s athletes and helpers. This year the team has a lot of veteran players—some who have been playing beside one another since the beginning—and many returning helpers. The team also has 10 new players and five new helpers.

“It’s really cute honestly. We’re all equal to each other,” said Holk. “Sure, some players are insanely good at soccer and others really struggle to even kick the ball, but we’re all really there for each other.”

This kind of support has existed since the first game against Alvirne. Since the Alvirne and Londonderry teams have a close relationship with one another, that game was both relaxed yet competitive. Each year Alvirne attends Londonderry’s Snowball Dance and Londonderry attends Alvirne’s Unified prom, so these events have helped create a number of friendships between the two teams.

“The mutual sportsmanship between those two teams is really amazing,” Tebbetts said. “The kids played really hard.”

The team pulled off a win against Alvirne and then again against Keene. At the Keene game senior players Keegan Mark and Brianna Ho both scored goals. The team’s full-time goalie junior Nate Gadzik played hard defense, only letting Keene score on him once in the entire game.

The team’s spirit was greatly lifted during the Keene game by the presence of two former Unified helpers and current Keene State College students, Brianna Kichler and Billy Croteau, who came to the game to watch the team play. According to Tebbetts, the team ran over to give Kichler and Croteau hugs the second they saw them.

“They were thrilled to see them and just happy that they made time out of their new lives to still prioritize these kids,” Tebbetts said.