Despite keeping the game close in the first half, Andover Girls Lacrosse ultimately fell 19-9 to a talented Thayer team last Wednesday. Coupled with a 12-9 loss against powerhouse Loomis on Saturday, Andover has now suffered two consecutive losses for the first time since beginning the season. On Wednesday, Thayer scored first just over a minute into the game after winning the opening faceoff, utilizing effective pick-and-rolls and demonstrating deft ball movement. “Thayer was a very fast team in every regard. They were able to thread the needle with their throws, and their shots came quickly thereafter,” said Catherine Anderson ’12. Nekele McCall ’14 answered less than a minute later with a goal of her own, but Thayer responded by scoring three unanswered goals. Andover continued to rally. Lizzie Paul ’12, Brooke Van Valkenburg ’12 and Caroline Garrity ’15 all capitalized on penalty shots in a span of about four minutes to temporarily erase Thayer’s lead. However, by halftime, Thayer managed to rebuild its prior three-goal lead and head into the break up 9-6. Andover continued to falter in the second half, as Thayer outscored it 10-3. “We weren’t able to slide fast enough or crash the eight when they were driving. This gave them plenty of clear shots of which they took complete advantage. Thayer was great team; there’s no denying that, but it could have been a closer game had we not made some silly mistakes. These mistakes resulted in turnovers which inevitably led to goals,” said Anderson. Saturday’s game was more evenly matched, but Andover still fell short of obtaining its ninth victory of the season. Andover opened the game with a 2-0 lead, but Loomis rebounded by scoring the next three goals and eventually held a 6-4 lead at halftime. Andover started the second half strong and soon cut the deficit to one goal.With four minutes remaining in the game, Andover continued to trail by a single goal with the score at 10-9. However, by the time the horn signaled the conclusion of the game, Loomis had cemented its lead by scoring the final two goals. “Loomis had a solid defense and a quick attack. Numbers 15 and 22 scored 11 of their 12 goals, so we probably should have marked them tighter than the girls who were never getting the ball. All in all though, we stayed right with them,” said Amy Morin ’14. After these recent defeats, as well as triumphs against Tabor Academy and Milton Academy last week, 17-7 and 13-10, respectively, Andover’s record now stands at 8-5. Andover will look to create a new winning streak when it faces off against the New Hampton School tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
