Caroline Garrity ’15 darted past the keeper and tapped the ball into the back of the net to cap off Andover Girls Soccer’s 2-0 win against Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) on Saturday. The victory boosted Andover’s record to 6-2-3.
Taking on a 1-2-5 NMH squad without Co-Captain Kinsey Yost ’15, both Savannah Mastrangelo ’16 and Nikki Dlesk ’17 stepped up to fill the void on defense.
“Playing without one of our main Senior leaders was definitely difficult, but we adjusted very well. Deyana Marsh [’17] really stepped up and became a true leader for the team. Everyone just made sure to really listen to each other and communicate really well so we knew what was going on [on] the field,” said Dlesk.
Andover jumped out to an early lead. Jeanine Moreau ’16 put Andover up 1-0 within 15 minutes, deftly controlling a pass from Sarah Humes ’16 before slotting it into the net.
Just five minutes into the second half, Garrity scored on a flick by Zoe Oasis ’17 to seal the victory.
On the defensive end of the field, the makeshift line proved to be resilient throughout the game and was able to maintain a shutout.
Filled with confidence after the win against NMH, the team welcomed BB&N to a match under the lights in Phelps Stadium on Monday night. Andover ultimately emerged with another 2-0 victory after two goals in the second half.
A relatively stagnant first half saw possession evenly distributed between both sides. Ten minutes into the second half, however, returning Yost whipped a 30-yard freekick into the side netting to put Andover up 1-0.
The goal re-energized the team, and Andover started to control possession. The midfield created several opportunities around the box, while the defensive line worked hard to contain BB&N in its own half.
Andover’s second goal came in the dying minutes of the game, when Garrity spearheaded the counterattack off of a BB&N corner kick. After running nearly the length of the entire field, Garrity danced past the opposing goalkeeper and tucked the ball away for a goal.
Head Coach Elisa Joel attributes the team’s recent success to several key Seniors that glue the team together.
“This team, inspired by the Seniors, does not stop fighting. Our Senior keeper [Co-Captain Elizabeth Kemp ’15] came out for really important saves and had steady hands throughout the game. Garrity is an absolute engine up front, and it’s really hard to stop her. The Seniors are part of the secret here. We’re successful because we’re a true team, and the Seniors are a huge part of that,” said Joel.
Andover will face an aggressive Deerfield team at home on Saturday.
