Led offensively by Co-Captain Kyleigh Keating ’10, Andover added two more wins to its record, soundly beating Pingree 13-9 last Friday and routing St. Paul’s 15-4 on Wednesday. The wins improve Andover’s early season record to 3-1. Battling rainy weather on a cold Friday night, Andover jumped out to an impressive start with and took an early 4-1 lead against a strong Pingree team. Andover’s defense, led by Co-Captain Katherine Sherill ’10, consistently shut down the Pingree offense. Ashley Hess ’11 said, “Sherrill did an exceptional job in both the defense and midfield areas, coming up with numerous ground balls that eventually led us to a great win.” With the defensive wall of Sherrill, Maggie Law ’10, Julia Rafferty ’10 and Samantha Lawson ’10 blocking out any offensive rush, the Pingree offense struggled to put shots on standout goalie Sarah Schuchardt ’11, whose saves gave Andover the early lead that it never relinquished throughout the game. On offense, Summer Washburn ’11, Keating and Brooke Van Valkenburg ’12 stole the show, scoring four goals in the early minutes of the game. Andover maintained its momentum throughout the game, the trio of Washburn, Keating and Van Valkenburg increased Andover’s scoring total to seven by halftime, while Andover’s defense held Pingree to only three. Even with Andover’s impressive play, the dynamic Pingree offense had an explosive start to the second half, closing the gap to 7-5 after an Andover defensive lapse. However, Katie Hess ’11 and the other defenders helped the team to regroup, and Andover’s offense bounced back to increase Andover’s lead to 10-6. After a power surge from Pingree to close the gaap to 11-9, Andover sealed the deal with more goals from Washburn, Keating, and Van Valkenburg. Andover finished the game with a 13-9 win. In total, Van Valkenburg sniped three goals, while Washburn added four, and Keating netted six. “We didn’t let the pouring rain or Pingree’s small goal streak get to us. Instead, we stayed together and scored a handful of our own goals at the end to further our lead,” said Walsh. After the impressive Pingree win, Andover visited St. Paul’s on Wednesday, a game that ended in a 15-4 Andover blowout. Following a penalty-plagued start, the Andover offense exploded with help from the lights-out defense of Sherrill, Haley Scott ’11, and Hannah Beinecke ’12. Goalie Mallory Tyler ’12 anchored the defense, saving 13 shots in the game. “Today’s game started off slowly. But, after the time out, we came back with high energy, with the knowledge that we could crush the St. Paul’s team,” said Scott. Seven different girls scored in the game. Keating netted four goals and Greer McBeth ’12 added three. Following this offensive explosion, the team went into halftime leading 7-3. Andover continued to excel in the second half, as the defense kicked in again, forcing turnovers that led to more goals. Andover out-scored St. Paul’s 8-1 in the second half, closing the game out at 15-4. “We didn’t play our best, a bit out of synch, but once we started to play with more confidence, more trust and more aggressiveness we did well, particularly in the second half,” said Dolan. The team will face Groton Saturday.
