Nothing is more frustrating than a string of ties, and the Andover Girls Varsity Field Hockey team was once again one goal too short for a win on both Saturday and Wednesday. The girls played a scoreless game against Cushing on Saturday before tying Milton 1-1 last Wednesday. Without a definite win in either of the games this past week, the Andover Girls Varsity Field Hockey team is ready for a win against their rivals Exeter tomorrow. Hosting Cushing last Saturday, the girls were unable to get control of the ball in the first half. Cushing dominated the game and left the Lady Blue few chances to score. Cushing had eight penalty corners to work off of, while the Lady Blue had none. However, Andover defense kept the score at 0-0 and prevented Cushing from gaining a lead. In the second half, the girls stepped things up and took control of the field. This time, they had the advantage with nine penalty corners while Cushing had none. The offense, however, was unable to convert their advantage into a lead, and despite their control of the field, the game ended at an inconclusive 0-0 stalemate. As the girls started their final home game of the season against Milton with a record of 7-2-4, they hoped to secure another win to better their season record. However, the two equally matched teams kept fans in suspense until the end, but no team was able to secure a victory. Facing Milton at home last Wednesday, the girls struggled to get control of the ball in the first half. A powerful and focused PA team showed an obvious advantage with a stroke and several penalty corners but had trouble converting their advantage into a lead. Both teams were unable to score before the whistle signaled the end of the first half. In the second half, Kelly Stecker ’05 redirected a shot by Kat Conlon ’04 to put Andover on the board. Andover led the game for the most of the half until Milton scored to secure a 1-1 tie with only thirty seconds left on the clock. Sam Demetriou ’05 had two good games in goal, and PA defense was strong throughout the week in helping to keep the opponents score low. Lindsay Moramarco ’06, Nikki Crocker ’05, and Captain Marissa Hudson ’04 helped dominate the midfield and control the tempo against Milton. Playing Milton, the Lady Blue was happier with its performance than some of the previous games. Despite the tie, the Big Blue clearly dominated the game. Lauren Seno ’05 explained, “We had a lot of enthusiasm on the bench. We got things going, but they just got one by us in the end. It was definitely better than our last games, and we’re hoping to draw from that playing Exeter.” The girls are now 7-2-5 on the season and are ready to challenge the Big Red tomorrow at noon. The game is especially important, as the girls hope to participate in post-season tournaments. Seno explained, “This week has been really important in terms of our playoff status. It’s good that we haven’t lost any games, but it would have been nice to win a few. Going into the weekend, we’re still in playoff status, but it comes down to the Exeter games. That’s necessarily a bad thing, but it’s going to make things more exciting.”
