Against Nobles last Saturday, Whitney Annicelli ’06 scored in a play off the initial draw, catching the Nobles defense off-guard and setting the tone in the Andover Girls Lacrosse Team’s 12-6 win. The Big Blue followed up that victory with a 10-7 win over Middlesex and a 17-3 demolition of Deerfield. Against Nobles, Annicelli’s goal gave Andover an early 1-0 lead but within the next five minutes, three more goals were scored and the score became 2-2. Throughout the game, the Andover coaches urged the offense to hold onto the ball for longer periods of time between shots on goal. The team aimed for better control because of how aggressively Nobles approached ground balls. The Big Blue defense played well with great communication from defensive leader Karen Schoenherr ’07 to collapse on a driving offender, then reorganize and spread around the 8-meter, denying scoring opportunities. Although the game was close at halftime, Andover pulled away to a 12-6 win with the defensive denial and by capitalizing on shots at net. Monday brought Middlesex to Siberia, where Andover gained an underwhelming victory. At the end of the first half, the score was 7-4 in Andover’s favor. A flustered Andover midfield and offense with some careless passes and premature or poor-angled shots led to a 3-3 tie in the second half. Andover, which had not had a practice since its last game against Nobles, did not let allow Middlesex to gain momentum even though the Big Blue was not playing its best lacrosse. After its sloppy 10-7 win over Middlesex, Andover came into Wednesday’s game against Deerfield determined to play its best. The team had recognized the areas which needed improvement, and stepped it up on Wednesday against Deerfield. By emphasizing better ball handling and thinking on one’s feet, Andover dominated the game. Coach Kate Dolan said, “The key was we finally had a game where we possessed the ball longer and better than our opponents.” Attacker Kayla Lawson ’07 scored one for the Blue with a well-placed shot, factoring into the 17 goals scored against Deerfield. Annie Boylan ’07 also contributed with a goal, as well as excellent offensive positioning around the 8-meter and great hustle in the midfield. In another remarkable play, Captain Wadland was caught behind the net with a Deerfield player in a free position. The Big Green attacker drove in for a low shot, but was denied by the outstretched stick of the diving goalie.Goalie Kate Foley ’08 played in the varsity net for the first time, saving several shots on goal, and making some great clears.Both the great goalies, in addition to strong defense, ensured a complete shut-out in the second half. Andover forced turnovers by pressuring the ball, in addition to an excellent pass interception by Caroline Moore ’07 who in doing so prevented a Deerfield goal. Andover walked away with an excellent team victory of 17-3, which adds another win to the record: currently 3-0.
