With five minutes left on the clock, Jordy Fenton ’17 leapt in the air to knock a header over the outstretched arms of the Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) goalie and into the net. Her first goal of the season clinched a 3-0 win over NMH on Saturday, which was Andover Girls Soccer’s fifth shutout of the season. Coupled with a 3-1 win over Thayer on Wednesday, the team improved its record to 7-4-1.
Against NMH, Andover possessed the ball for the majority of the game and put up several shots on net.
In the final minutes of the first half, Zoe Oasis ’17 served the ball into the box, where Natalia Suarez ’17 was able to finish.
Oasis said, “We were able to possess really well through the midfield and we dominated offensively.”
To continue its dominance on the field, the team played with speed and made quick decisions on the pitch.
Emma Murphy ’17 said, “Before we started the game, [Head Coach Lisa Joel] told us to focus on playing the ball at pace. Our most successful plays followed that advice, affording us opportunities to hit nice balls and dribble into the box.”
Andover’s defense played a key role, stopping several shots and shutting down NMH’s offense. Co-Captain Antonia Tammaro ’17, the goalkeeper, and the team’s defense helped Andover secure the shutout.
Kaitlin Hoang ’17, an integral member of Andover’s defense, also contributed to Andover’s offensive attack with flank runs, crosses, and an assist to Oasis.
“Kaitlin Hoang and Zoe Oasis work incredibly well together and Kaitlin was able to move all the way up the field on multiple occasions, even managing to shoot,” said Murphy. “Their collaboration is always evident, but was particularly impressive this past game.”
Oasis said, “Kaitlin Hoang was a box to box player and she got some great shots off. She was very influential on attack, giving great passes and crosses. On defense, she didn’t allow the opposing forward any shots and overall had a great game.”
Despite its three goals, the team believes it could have improved by finishing more opportunities.
Elise MacDonald ’19 said, “Our offense created so many dangerous opportunities and we were unlucky to not put a couple more in the back of the net.”
On Wednesday, Andover defeated Thayer 3-1 by maintaining its offensive mindset, working to control the ball and putting pressure on the defense.
“Thayer put all their players behind the ball and decided not to press us past the half line,” said Tammaro. “This gave us so much space to pass it around in the back and build from there. I think it was an overall weird game for us, because we have never seen a team play like that before. It took some adjusting to but in the end I’m really proud of the way our team responded and kept our heads in it the entire game.”
The team worked on keeping the ball in its offensive zone and quickly retreating to play defense.
On the offensive side, players worked to move the ball up the field and get as many shots on goal as possible. Oasis added another goal to her season total of ten, while Krystiana Swain ’18 scored two.
Tammaro said, “Krystiana Swain definitely made a difference. She scored two really creative goals and put it past a very condensed Thayer defense.”
Andover hopes to continue its seven game undefeated streak against Deerfield on Saturday.
