Andover was unable to take advantage of numerous power plays in the fourth quarter and fell to Loomis 8-6 once again. The Andover Boys Varsity Water Polo team has had a difficult time defending itself against its opponents and aggressively bringing the ball towards the net. The team lost in a 10-5 contest against Loomis last weekend, only to return on Saturday hopeful for a positive rematch. Unfortunately, the game did not unfold the way the boys of the Big Blue hoped. Loomis sprinted out of the gate and scored three goals within the first two minutes. Andover struggled sloppily in response to Loomis’ quick offensive; fortunately, the Boys finally got their act together and began to play with intensity. Led by Captain Rob Anderson ’06 and Jamie Neuwirth ’06, PA crept back into the game. Playing hard and with determination, the team’s newfound energy began to show on the score board. They traded goals with Loomis for the rest of the contest, but it was not enough. The Blue trailed throughout the game, and the team just did not have enough endurance left in the end to make a comeback. Turning in his best performance of the season with three goals, Neuwirth contributed greatly to the team with a hat trick. Anderson, Jeff Cutts ’06 and Jeff Zhou ’06 all scored one goal each. Goalie Chris Zeigel ’05 played well once again, but the defense allowed too many breakaways to show Zeigel’s positive performance on the scoreboard. The hardest part for the PA team was that they dug themselves into a hole too deep to climb out of. “We did not play up to our potential,” said Anderson. “But we are growing and maturing as a team, and hopefully that will translate into success in the pool.” Although the outcome of the Loomis match did not reflect what the team wanted, there were some bright spots in the game. After being down three goals within two minutes, the team did hold their heads up high. The Big Blue battled back; several opportunities were even presented for Andover to tie it up, but the team was not able to make a shot. “There are only a couple of returners on the team and plenty of new talent to work with,” Zeigel commented. “One of our team goals is to take the margin between the worst player and the best player and shorten it as much as possible.”
