Caroline Shipley ’16 latched onto a pinpoint pass from Zoe Oasis ’17 and hammered the ball home to give Andover the 1-0 lead against Deerfield on Saturday. Andover would go on to win 2-0 in front of a crowd of cheering parents during Family Weekend.
Andover came out firing against Deerfield and managed to score both of its goals in the first half. Not long after Shipley notched the first goal of the game, she assisted Caroline Garrity ’15 to secure Andover’s win.
Jordy Fenton ’17 set up the play, threading a ball down the sideline for Shipley. Shipley crossed it into the box and Garrity finished with clinical precision to cap off a successful first half. The two early goals gave the team confidence for the rest of the game.
Although Andover did not score any more goals, it maintained constant offensive pressure throughout the match. The midfield played a crucial role in Andover’s performance: it connected well with the defense and distributed the ball effectively, while simultaneously limiting Deerfield’s offense. Olivia LaMarche ’16 enjoyed a particularly strong game as the center midfielder.
“[LaMarche] was marking [Deerfield’s] best and most technical player and was able to shut her down, which was key,” said Shipley in an email to The Phillipian.
Coming off of a strong showing on Saturday, Andover headed to Nobles & Greenough on Wednesday to extend its winning streak. The team did not expect an easy game, as Nobles brought an impressive record of 7-0-1 to the field. Despite a gritty performance, Andover fell 3-0.
After conceding a goal in the first half, Andover struggled to maintain an even playing field. Nobles’s potent attack proved to be too much for Andover’s defense to handle, while Andover’s offense struggled to create opportunities and equalize.
Savannah Mastrangelo ’16 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Nobles is a very good team with a consistent skill level at all 11 positions. They had 11 seniors and many future college players. Once they scored the first two goals they had the high skill level and momentum that we couldn’t match.”
Even though Andover was unable to score, the challenging game highlighted the team’s mental resilience. Led by its captains, Andover refused to sit back and let Nobles dominate the game.
“They played really good soccer and had a similar style of play to us. It was really well fought, and no one gave up or put their head down. [Co-Captain Kinsey Yost ’15] had an awesome game and showed a lot of leadership,” said Cassie Chin ’17 in an email to The Phillipian.
Andover’s record now stands at 8-3-3. The team will welcome Lawrence Academy at home on Friday in hopes of bouncing back from its shutout defeat.
