Going in with a must-win mindset after a two-week break, Andover Girls Water Polo came out with three wins over the course of five days to lock down a spot in this year’s NEPSAC Championship Tournament.
Coming off momentum from its two wins over Suffield and Deerfield, Andover used its break to prepare for the upcoming games against Loomis Chaffee, Choate and Phillips Exeter Academy.
Last Saturday the team took on Loomis and Choate in a doubleheader, winning 14-3 and 6-4 respectively.
Coach Daniel O’Shea said, “Both these games were very big games. We needed both to finalize a spot in the final tournament. If we lost either, we would be struggling to get our feet under us for the rest of the season.”
In the first game, Andover came roaring out of the gate against Loomis. The last time the two teams squared off, Andover lost in a double-overtime heartbreaker by one goal.
Co-Captains Lauren Conte ’14 and Kait Simpson ’14 teamed up with fellow Senior Corinna Torabi ’14 to lead the scoring charge. Underclassmen Sasha Newton ’16 and Morgan Rooney ’17 stepped it up as well, adding goals themselves.
Goalie Jen Powers ’14 was stellar in net, and with five blocks, she only allowed two goals. Her consistently strong performances have been critical to the team’s recent success.
“Every single teammate was able to play and contribute to this win. Our offense was very successful, with accurate passing and shooting. Even after the starting lineup was out of the pool, we continued to shut down Loomis, which proved the depth of our bench and the strength of our defense,” said Conte.
With the 14-3 win and no rest behind them, Andover squared off with an extremely fit and talented Choate team, anchored by a player whom O’Shea described as “the most talented goalie I’ve seen in a long time.”
Both sides boasted strong defenses, leading to a low-scoring game. Undaunted, Andover shot out to a quick lead which it never relinquished. Andover’s defense stepped up, recording 24 steals, and its offense outshot Choate 2-1.
Led by Powers’s crucial saves in net, the team pulled out a 6-4 victory in overtime, earning the girls a spot in the final-four playoff tournament.
“[O’Shea] is a phenomenal coach, and these games just showed how much we’ve improved in four weeks,” said Simpson.
Another opportunity for revenge came in the form of last Wednesday’s clash with Exeter, in which Andover narrowly lost 10-9 in the third game of the season.
This time Andover claimed home-advantage and had an invaluable opportunity to tarnish Exeter’s undefeated record.
On Wednesday, Andover was dominant throughout, and came out with a 10-6 victory. The Exeter defenders were unable to stop Simpson, who was unrelenting with goals. The team was once again aided by Powers in goal.
“[Powers] was unreal today. She had a million amazing blocks and saves,” said Rooney.
The match was the last home game for Andover’s Seniors, adding a sentimental aspect that increased the significance of the win.
“Coming out with that win there were a lot of emotions, and I’m so psyched to see what this team will do at the playoff tournament next weekend. I’ve got my eyes set on winning the New England Championship, and I really think it’s in our reach now especially after [Wednesday’s] victory,” said Simpson.
