Andover girls lacrosse dug itself out of a three-point hole to steal a 10-8 win against Governors Academy. Dominating the rest of its opponents, the team also secured victories against Taft School, Tabor Academy, and Milton School.
Andover had a slow first half against Governors. Early into the game, Governors offense netted four goals, leaving Andover down 4-1. Andover soon rallied back, but still left the field at halftime behind 4-5.
Andover continued to fall behind at the beginning of the second half, letting in two goals and increasing Governers lead to 7-5. However, with twelve minutes left to play, Andover tied the game up 7-7. Andover then netted three goals in a row to earn a 10-7 advantage with two minutes on the clock. Governors slipped in one more goal in the final minutes of the game, but Andover held it there, securing a 10-8 victory.
“Governors was a good come-from-behind effort; the defense came up big in the second half and we dominated through the midfield,” said Coach Kate Dolan.
Later in the week, Andover squared off against a promising Tabor squad. Tabor came into the game with a 7-3 record, while Andover took the field 4-4.
Andover jumped up early in the game with two goals, which were soon evened by Tabor. The rest of the first half continued to go back and forth, but Andover came out on top with a 7-4 lead at the half.
“We took control of the game from the outset and led throughout. We played well in each third of the field and really frustrated Tabor with our possessions and skill,” said Dolan.
Andover took the first three goals of the second half, increasing its advantage to 10-4. Tabor rallied with three goals of its own, but Andover was able to shut down Tabor’s offense and to take an 11-7 win.
Andover took another quick lead on Milton the following Wednesday. At the half, Andover was up 9-2. After the half, however, Andover lost its fire, allowing Milton to net five more goals. Despite Milton’s attempt at a comeback, Andover kept the lead and won 11-7.
“We had some truly picture-perfect lacrosse plays in the sense that we got the ball down the field with quick, crisp passes. However, the intensity was a little lacking by the end of the game, and we’re really going to need to bring it against Loomis,” said Catherine Anderson ’12.
Jumping up to a 4-0 lead, Andover dominated the beginning of the game against Taft. However quick offense and good stick skills allowed Taft to battle back and take a 5-4 lead at the half.
Andover came out strong again in the second half with three consecutive goals, but the game shifted again and Taft tied the game 7-7 with less than ten minutes left. Both teams continued to fight back and forth, but Andover secured the win with three more goals and a score of 10-9.
“The way our season has gone seems to be mirroring how some of our games have gone: fall behind, recover, and take control. If we can eliminate the falling behind part and avoid playing in spurts, we will finish the season strong,” said Dolan.
