Captain Alex Clifford ’07 led the boys soccer team to victory with a hat trick on Saturday. His three goals were the difference in Andover’s 4-1 home win over Tabor. On Wednesday, Andover encountered Taft on the road (at Deerfield). In a hard-fought battle, the teams played to a scoreless draw. Saturday’s game was particularly intense and physical. Under an unusual circumstance, three of the five total goals came from penalty kicks. This made Clifford’s hat trick an unconventional one, as he twice capitalized on PKs. This did not diminish his performance, however, as he craftily outwitted the opposing goal keeper on all three goals. Though Andover ultimately benefited more from the penalty kicks, Tabor had the first opportunity, and they converted. In the thirty-eighth minute, Andover was called for a last-chance foul within the goalie’s box. Tabor scored on the ensuing penalty kick and took a 1-0 lead. Soon after Tabor made the first strike, Andover had a chance of its own. The referees called a foul and awarded Andover a penalty kick. Clifford, Andover’s selected shooter, lined up the shot and came through. He chipped the ball into the upper right corner of the net and tied the contest at one. Andover kept the momentum going by quickly taking the lead. After a series of passes on a down-field drive, the ball got loose in front of the net. A.J. Charles ’07 took possession and knocked the ball in to put Andover up 2-1. The team took this lead into halftime. Andover continued to fight hard and apply pressure in the second half, but Tabor held off the Andover offense until near the end of the game. In the seventy-ninth minute, Clifford went down after being hit in the side of the head. He got up after a brief delay and took his second penalty shot of the day. He again drove the ball into the upper right corner and gave Andover a 3-1 lead. The minor injury did not seem to affect Clifford; he scored again just moments later and set the score at 4-1. Though Andover took a clear advantage in the later stages, the game was by no means easy. “Saturday was [a game] of keeping the intensity and pressure up. We pushed through and were able to come out on top,” said Sam Gould ’07. Andover was challenged by Taft on Wednesday, but this time the game finished in a 0-0 tie. Andover played well and seemed in control, but it repeatedly failed to convert its offensive opportunities. Andover dominated possession for most of the contest. The team controlled the ball and attacked from the sides. Players created scoring opportunities this way by putting the ball in front of the goal, but they were never able to find the net. At different times, both Chris Wade ’08 and Charles missed volleys, and Clifford sent one over the crossbar. These missed opportunities were frustrating, but Taft’s defense played well. “[Taft] got into a defensive shell and kept us out,” said Gould. Taft failed to support its defense with any offensive threats. The Andover defense, led by John Thoumey ’07, Jason Zhu ’07, Sam Gould ’07, and Mike Donelan ’08, kept the Taft forwards at bay and forced them to take unreasonable shots. The speedy and intelligent play from the fullbacks has kept PA out of trouble all season. Taft had no great distance shooters, but the team’s players often took shots from twenty-five yards out because they could not penetrate any deeper. Andover’s defense—which allowed few shots on goal—remained virtually impenetrable, and the game ended in a scoreless tie.
