Exploding offensively with six different players scoring in each game, Andover Girls Lacrosse cruised its way to an 11-5 victory at Groton on Friday and bested NMH 15-4 on Wednesday. These impressive scores improved the girls’ season record to 5-1 and stretched the team’s winning streak to five games. Against Groton, Brooke Van Valkenburg ’12 scored more than half of Andover’s 11 goals, and she added four more in the game against NMH Wednesday. Co-Captain Kyleigh Keating ’10 added six of her own to the huge win on Wednesday. When Andover faced Groton Friday, Andover’s opponent jumped out to an early 4-1 lead. Julia Rafferty ’10, Co-Captain Katherine Sherrill ’10, Haley Scott ’11 and Maggie Law ‘10 tightened the defense after Groton’s early scoring surge. The impermeable Andover defense kept the team competitive despite offensive struggles in the first half. Andover entered the half trailing 2-4. Andover came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. Van Valkenburg sparked the offensive fire, tearing apart the Groton defense with six goals in the second half. “Brooke [Van Valkenburg] was on fire the entire second half and left everything on the field. She was consistently in the right place at the right time looking to shoot,” said Ashley Hess ’11. Summer Washburn added five assists, contributing to the offensive onslaught in the second half. Andover went on to score three more times, while strong defense from Hannah Beinecke ’12, Catherine Anderson ’12 and Hailey Novis ’13 held the Groton attack in check. Emily Rademacher ’11, Elizabeth Paul ’12, Katie Hess ’11, Kellie Walsh ’11 and Katie Riley ’10 netted one goal apiece as part of Andover’s scoring surge. When the final whistle blew, Andover was on top 11-5. “As a team, it was great that we were able to fight back after being down 4-1. It just shows how much this team loves to compete and win,” said Kellie Walsh ’11. This desire to win was evident from the start of the NMH game. Offensively, the team never struggled, as goals from six different players nicely supplemented the defense, which consistently shut down NMH attacks. Keating and Van Valkenburg led the offense this game, netting six and four goals, respectively to put Andover up 8-2 at half. Aggressive play from Scott, Rafferty, Law and Sherrill limited NMH’s scoring, while Mallory Tyler ’12 fortified the team’s defense with three saves in goal. The second half continued in the same way, as new goalie Sarah Schuchardt ’11 led the defense with three saves in goal, while the offense added seven more goals secure Andover’s lead. Washburn had two assists, while Keating, Greer McBeth ’12 and Caroline Gezon ’10 each had one of their own. Diversity in scoring remains one of Andover’s strongest weapons, as McBeth, Gezon and Rafferty each added a goal, while Paul sniped 2 more. Combined with the goals from Keating and Van Valkenburg, this offense added up to 15 goals from six different players. Andover won, 15-4. “The team played really well on offense and defense but struggled on midfield. We all had a tough time supporting the ball carrier down the field. However, we had great shots and stand up defense consistently,” said Scott. Andover awaits its Saturday game at Taft and next Wednesday’s game against Governor’s.
