Summer Washburn ’11 netted a game-winning goal in sudden death overtime this past Wednesday, scoring the lone goal in Andover’s 1-0 victory over St. Paul’s. On Saturday, Andover’s defense was once again stifling in yet another shutout, defeating Northfield Mount Hermon 4-0. In Wednesday’s game versus St. Paul’s, official play ended in a scoreless tie. Less than a minute into sudden death, however, Kyleigh Keating ’10 blocked a free hit and proceeded down the sideline with the ball. After crossing into St. Paul’s half of the field, Keating sent a hard cross to Washburn, who fired a shot into the far corner of the net for the game-winning goal. With just over six minutes remaining in the game, Co-Captain Kaitlyn McInnis ’09 took a high ball just below the knee and had to be escorted off the field. Her fellow Co-Captain Kaitlyn Gaiss ’09 was also out with illness. Despite the absence of two team leaders, Andover demonstrated its resilience by surviving for the victory. Co-Captain Avery Stone ’10 rose to fill the shoes of her missing counterparts. “Stone did a great job breaking down the plays and keeping the ball out of the circle to allow for only one shot on Andover’s goal,” said Shannon McSweeney ’11. Andover dominated the game. “It’s notable that everyone did a great job keeping it on our offensive end of the field,” said Alina Pechacek ’09. Although Andover controlled the pace of the game, the team had a hard time finishing its plays in crucial situations. The solid defense, however, kept the ball in Andover’s possession and ultimately carried the team to the victory. Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Northfield Mount Hermon once again displayed Andover’s versatility and strong team cohesion. Mariana Walsh ’11 opened the game with a goal to give Andover an early lead, and Keating soon followed with a goal of her own to make the score 2-0. Katie Riley ’10 and Greer McBeth ’12 both scored their first goals for Andover, and their combined effort resulted in Andover’s impressive four-goal victory. McInnis and Eliza Flynn ’10 each had two assists in the game. Goalies McSweeney and Pechacek split time in the net to preserve the shut-out. Overall the defensive line played extremely well. “They were able to keep the ball in our attacking zone, which led to some of our goals,” said Coach Kate Dolan. With Stone out with an injury, Gaiss filled in as sweeper. Right back Brooke Van Valkenburg ’12 had a particularly strong game, stopping almost every ball and player that came her way. “The depth and versatility of our team is our greatest strength, and the entire team played extremely well,” said Coach Dolan. “Everyone can play all over the field. As a whole we are an extremely flexible team with a lot of chemistry,” said Kellie Walsh ’11. On Saturday, Andover will play Deerfield at Phelps Stadium at 3:15. The last time these teams faced off was in last season’s semifinals when Andover prevailed 1-0.
