Co-Captains Kinsey Yost ’15, Alex Thomas ’15 and Elizabeth Kemp ’15 anchor Andover Girls Soccer’s defense. The three Captains have led the team to a playoff berth in a bid for the New England Championship.
Yost, a Senior from Lake Oswego, O.R., is a four-year member of the team. With years of soccer experience, Yost plays center-back to direct Andover’s defensive line. “It’s nice to know we have such a talented and confident player on defense,” said Thomas.
On multiple occasions during the season, Yost has shown her versatility on the field. The strength of her shots makes Yost an offensive threat, and she often fulfills a midfielder’s role on offense, playing from just outside of the penalty box.
Off the field, Yost has been the embodiment of team chemistry, which has made younger players feel more welcome on the team. “No matter the day she is having, [Yost] will always make you feel special,” said Kemp.
Caroline Shipley ’16 said, “Kinsey’s just a natural leader. She gets the team going, she gets us excited. She’s so good at supporting everyone — even in the roughest games, she’s one player who is always being positive.”
Thomas, a Senior from Concord, M.A., and also a four-year team member, made the transition from striker to right back this season. The defensive line has stifled opposing offenses for the entire season, in large part due to the connection between the Co-Captains.
Similarly to Yost, Thomas has reached a great understanding of her teammates. “She knows exactly when and how to pump us up before a game or during halftime,” said Savannah Mastrangelo ’16.
Thomas also leads by example during games and practices. “She works hard and people follow in her footsteps because of that,” said Yost.
One of Thomas’s greatest traits is her versatility and adaptability. “Alex is such a good leader and a really good example of this happened early in the season this year. We had a gap in our defense and she had never played defense before while at Andover and Head Coach [Lisa] Joel put her back there at defense, and she’s been doing a great job back there,” said Shipley
Kemp came to Andover as a new Lower from Greenwich, C.T., and made the Varsity team as an Upper. With only a year of Andover soccer experience, Kemp proved herself as a leader and was elected Co-Captain at the end of last season.
As a goalkeeper, Kemp is responsible for commanding her team from the backfield. “She has such a strong presence from the back moving forward; everyone on the field feels a sense of strength knowing that [Kemp] is in net,” said Yost.
Kemp also exudes a strong presence from inside goal. Shipley said, “We call [Elizabeth] Kemp ‘mom,’ because she’s like the mama bear of the team. She’s always looking out for everybody, and we can always depend on her. We love her a lot.”
With Kemp in net and her Co-Captains orchestrating the wall in front of her, Andover has only allowed ten goals and compiled seven shutouts over 14 games.
The team has played to an 8-3-3 record. When asked about Andover’s success thus far, the Co-Captains immediately credited Joel. “[Joel] picked a good group of girls, and we have meshed really well,” said Yost.
After the vote last year, the team decided to elect three Captains instead of instituting the usual Co-Captaincy. “All three of the Captains were enthusiastic and supportive of everyone, promoting such a close and loving atmosphere both on and off the field,” said Olivia LaMarche ’16.
“Each Captain brings different leadership qualities to the team and [they] all compliment each other with their differences,” added Mastrangelo.
After the three remaining regular season games, the three Captains will spearhead Andover’s run into the playoffs.