Overpowering its opponents for the entire tournament, Andover took home the New England championship in a decisive 11-7 victory over Hotchkiss in the final match.
Andover started the day off strong, dominating Deerfield in the first game of the tournament. A combination of solid defense and a strong offense gave Andover a quick lead, allowing Andover to play more of its less experienced players throughout the game.
Co-Captain Thomas Armstrong ’11 said, “This game was a great opportunity for less experienced players to get a lot of playing time. Will Kim [’13] had a breakout game, including great positioning on both offense and defense.”
A bye in the second round allowed Andover to take a quick break, but at the start of the third round Andover took the field with fire, determined to beat Choate in its second game of pool play. Once more, Andover dominated the field. Andover’s defense proved to be impassable while its offense was unstoppable as Andover cruised to a quick 13-2 win.
Next came the semi-finals and Andover’s toughest game of the tournament against NMH. Both sides fought for control early in the game. When Andover was leading 2-1, the game was delayed due to lightening. After an hour delay the game resumed and the teams played in very wet conditions. As the game progressed, Andover was able to break NMH’s defense, while at the same time containing NMH’s offense. After a hard fought battle, Andover triumphed 9-7. Armstrong said, “Maybe the most talented team we played all day, we broke apart their four-person cup and worked hard to contain their offense.”
In the final game, Andover faced off against Hotchkiss. Andover took control of the game early and maintained control throughout. However, Hotchkiss threatened deep many times throughout the game, scoring on several hucks. These long scores kept the game relatively close. Andover took the win 11-7 and became the 2011 New England champions.
Turner Shaw ’11 said, “Winning itself wasn’t incredibly special, but doing it with great spirit and as a close and bonded team was inspirational, and reminds me why ultimate is unlike any other sport.”
On Wednesday Andover continued its dominance, slaughtering Exeter 15-4. Andover’s offense was explosive and its defense solid as it cruised to an easy win.
