Trailing 1-0 in the second half against Lawrence Academy under the lights on Friday, Sarah Humes ’16 darted past defenders on the left side of the field, rocketing a shot that nailed the crossbar. Zoe Oasis ’17 headed the rebound into the back of the net, evening the score at 1-1. The draw elongated Andover’s undefeated streak to eight games, and a win against Worcester Academy on Wednesday brought Andover’s record to 10-3-4.
A lapse in defensive judgment occurred when stalwart Natalia Suarez ’17 was moved from her typical position of center back to the midfield. Without Suarez anchoring the back line, Andover relinquished a goal early on in the game to put itself at a deficit.
Although trailing, Andover managed to maintain its offensive pressure, peppering the Lawrence goalkeeper with shots.
Defender Nikki Dlesk ’17 said, “After Lawrence scored their first goal, we knew we had to defend our home turf. We knew we had to come out stronger in the second half than we had in the first. Obviously it would have been nice to get the win, but it was great to come back, and the rally of the crowd was what helped us through.”
The comeback effort culminated in the goal from Oasis.
“My goal against Lawrence was a cumulative offensive effort. Sarah took a great shot from the outside, and I was just happy I was in position to finish it when it came off the crossbar. Because Lawrence has a pretty solid defense, we all knew that we had to finish any chance that came our way, especially inside the eighteen,” she added.
Following the tie, Andover looked to continue its streak in blustery conditions at Worcester on Wednesday. About halfway through the first half, Jordy Fenton ’17 found an opening and threaded a pass to Krystiana Swain ’18, who subsequently maneuvered past the last Worcester defender and struck the ball into the left side of the net. Swain scored the only goal of the game, securing the 1-0 win.
Swain said, “The team has come together so well in these past few games, which is extremely exciting for all of us, but this is no time to be complacent. We still have to keep the momentum we have to get us through these playoffs.”
Andover heads into its final match against rival team Phillips Exeter Academy on Saturday with the hopes of maintaining its undefeated streak.
