On Saturday, the Girls Varsity Soccer team hosted the Loomis Chaffee School. Loomis Chaffee has one of the strongest, if not the strongest, soccer program in New England. Loomis proved to be a formidable opponent for Andover, winning 2-0. The score, however, did not reflect the enthusiasm, determination, skill, and teamwork that the Andover girls brought to the game. Captain Julie Wadland said, “This was the best soccer that we have ever played and this game really showed how far we have come as a team.” Andover knew that it would need to play for the full ninety minutes if the team even wanted to stay in the game with Loomis. The game got off to a fast start with each side gaining and losing possession in each other’s defensive ends. Andover had some unbelievable plays in which it really worked together as a cohesive unit. The team succesfully execute give and goes to move the ball down the field. Andover was finally beginning to take advantage of offensive scoring opportunities and really working hard to pressure the strong Loomis defense. Jade Lefebvre ’08 had three shots in the first half, but the Loomis goalie managed to get ahold of each. This strong play by Andover allowed the team to stay neck and neck with the Loomi]s girls. However, during the first half Loomis was able to score a goal off of an unstoppable shot. This goal only made the Andover girls more aggressive, and the defense stepped its game up yet another notch. Captain Goalkeeper Wadland had an amazing game, blocking nearly all shots that came her way. By the end of the first half, even though Andover was trailing by one goal, it continued to pressure the Loomis team. Andover came out even harder in the second half determined not to let the score affect its play. Once again the team continued to pressure Loomis. Andover’s defensemen each played remarkably well, shutting down the Loomis offense and redirecting the ball up field. Martha Durant ‘06 had a great game playing an integral part in many key plays. Fortune, however, seemed to be with Loomis Chaffee as Andover was unable to finish for a goal. Then a Loomis player received an open shot and fired the ball to the upper left corner, right past the Andover goalie. The score was now 2-0 but Andover continued to play as though the score were 0-0. As the game came to an end, each of the Andover players were thoroughly excited about the team’s performance. Various players said that Saturday’s game was the most impressive play that Loomis Chaffee has seen from Andover. On Wednesday, Andover traveled to Cambridge to play the Harvard University Junior Varsity team. Andover won the game 3-1, and used it as an opportunity to practice some of the skills that the team has been working on in a game situation. While the game itself was not the team’s strongest performance because many girls were out with injuries, it was good to know that the team could still manage a victory. Today, Andover plays the Brooks School, away, at 4:00.
