Kelly Chang ’07 scored an amazing ten goals, spark ing Andover to domination over Worcester with a 26-9 win in the first game of the season for the Andover Girls Water Polo team. The Andover Girls team has been working non-stop for the past few weeks with hopes that this season will be an improvement from last season—and its hard work has definitely put it a step ahead of its competitors. The girls packed their team of strong veterans balanced with aggressive novice players onto the bus and headed to Worcester Academy on Wednesday for their first game of the season. Last season, Andover played Worcester twice, and won twice, but struggled in the second game. Moments after the game started, Worcester netted a goal on Andover to take a 1-0 lead. This lead was very short-lived however, as Andover, a little surprised at the stiff competition from Worcester, quickly got down to business. The powerhouse offensive core seized the momentum for Andover and did not let the Worcester goalie catch her breath. Co-Captain Parla Alpan ’06 and Co-Captain Emily Brenner ’06 led the Andover onslaught. Co-Captain Alpan scored seven goals and Co-Captain Brenner scored four. The Chang sisters held true to their hype, as Kelly Chang led the Andover offense with a spectacular ten goals and Kimbo Chang ’08 contributed a solid three goals to Andover’s win as well. Devon Zimmerling ’07 and Lily Bowers ’08 each left their own mark, netting a goal each. Once Andover warmed up, it viciously rolled over Worcester. Andover spread out the playing time, giving every one on the roster at least a few minutes. Co-Captain Brenner noted, “All of our new players got to play and showed a lot of potential.” Complementing the overpowering offense, the defense stood its ground as well. Goalie Amy Fenstermacher ’07 successfully defended the goal in many one-on-none opportunities. Kimbo Chang and Zimmerling also stood out defensively. The successful combination of a powerhouse offense and brick wall-like defense resulted from the team’s ability to skillfully work together to run its plays smoothly. Communication in the water between the offense and defense and between the veterans and novices was the main reason for the lopsided score. This Saturday, the team plays Deerfield Academy in what is expected to be one of the toughest challenges of the season, given that Deerfield and Andover are totally evenly matched teams. Co-Captain Brenner expects the game “will be a good test to see how much our new players have improved and how well the team works together. Our team is looking much stronger than it did last year.”
