Co-Captain Julia Torabi ’12 racked up seven goals against a historically strong Loomis Chaffee squad last Saturday but could not save Andover Water Polo from falling 19-14.
Though it would have preferred to win, Andover was pleased with the result, especially given last year’s 20-3 loss to Loomis.
“In past years, Loomis has been a really strong team and losing by that little was good for us,” said Torabi.
The team also lacked key player Kira Wyckoff ’12 on Saturday; had she been in the water, Andover could have had a better chance at a victory.
The game began with a foreboding start when one of Loomis’s strong offensive players netted a goal within the first 20 seconds of the game. Shortly after, Amelia Danovitch ’13 brought Andover back into play when she netted Andover’s first goal of the season.
By the end of the first quarter, Andover had scored two more goals, one by Co-Captain Molly Levene ’12 and the other by Torabi. Loomis contributed five of its own, however, to maintain a 5-3 lead.
During the second quarter, Andover lost serious momentum and allowed six goals. However, Torabi then fought to shrink the deficit by adding two and closing the score gap to 11-5.
Andover continued to battle back in the third quarter and secured six more goals.
Torabi’s hot streak continued in the fourth quarter, as she added two goals. Mesrobian and Mia Dwyer ’12 also tacked on a goal apiece.
Andover only allowed two Loomis goals in the forth quarter, but the game finished with a 19-14 loss.
“In the end we lost, but every person played, and it was a great way to start the season,” said Danovitch.
“The team looked very strong and showed themselves to be a very competitive team early on this season,” said Coach Dan O’Shea.
After the game against Loomis, the team went up against Exeter on Wednesday. Despite a week’s worth of demanding training and an unwavering attitude, Andover faced a 10-15 loss. Wyckoff was among the standout players of the game, scoring a total of seven goals.
The team is scheduled to play Exeter later in the season and looks forward to the rematch.
Tomorrow, Andover will square off against Williston Northhampton at 3:30 p.m. in hopes of redeeming itself.
