Receiving a pass from Roberto Rabines ’16, Andrei Dumitrescu ’18 sprinted by a Choate defender and fired a shot into the back of the net, giving Andover a 1-0 lead. Andover capitalized on this offensive prowess to defeat Choate 3-1 this Saturday and boost its undefeated 6-0-1 record.
From the first whistle Andover pushed the ball quickly into the offensive zone on both the right and left wings. Andover denied Choate of any potential scoring opportunities by maintaining a strong defensive formation.
Only minutes after Andover’s first goal, Co-Captain Alex Dziadosz ’16 controlled the ball in the middle of the field and sent a long shot into the top corner of the net to give Andover a commanding 2-0 lead.
Head Coach Will Orben said, “Dziadosz is a dangerous midfielder. He is a motivator for the team, and he is a creator on the field.”
In the second half, Andover upped the tempo again, creating dangerous offensive chances. Forward Henry Meyerrose ’17 netted a third goal for Andover, pushing the score to 3-0.
In a final effort, Choate scored on a fast free-kick in the remaining few minutes, as the game ended in a 3-1 victory for Andover.
On Wednesday, Andover travelled to Tabor and followed up Saturday’s win with a tight 1-0 victory. Rabines scored Andover’s only goal of the game with a header off a crossing assist from Meyerrose.
Co-Captain Peder Bakken ’16 said, “We came out very slowly, but then we started to get our attack going. After Rabines’ goal, we locked down defensively and held on for the win.”
Fullback Darian Bhathena ’16 said, “[Playing on turf], the ball moved quick and could easily slip in between two of our back four. Our positioning and shape on defense was critical. We played really defensively, especially in the first half, and managed to shut Tabor out despite being under constant attack. I would say our defense had a great game overall.”
The game consisted heavily of back-and-forth play, with Tabor missing many near chances at Andover’s net. Andover’s defensive line held strong throughout the game, and the offense followed suit, scoring a goal.
Rabines said, “It was my favorite game of the season so far, because even though we didn’t play too well, we showed the grit and determination [that we] needed to come out with a win.”
Andover will look to continue its undefeated streak as it prepares to face Tilton this Saturday.
