Heading into the second half of the game with a 5-4 lead against Governor’s, midfielder Kate McIntire ’19 bolted past her defenders and slung the ball into the far right corner of the net, scoring her first goal of the game. Her efforts were not enough, however, as Andover ultimately fell 9-8 to Governor’s, dropping the team’s season record to 2-5.
Andover started off strong in the first half of the game, demonstrating shooting and passing accuracy. Defender Courtney Masotti ’17 and midfielder Lauren Overly ’17 each scored one goal, and midfielder Beth Krikorian ’17 scored three goals. Ananda Kao ’18, Sarah Rigazio ’18, Overly, and Krikorian each tallied one assist, while goalie and Post-Graduate Livy Golini ’16 made three crucial saves for Andover.
Krikorian said, “We had a very strong game defensively. We worked well together to minimize Governors’ shots. Offensively we improved on transitioning the ball and on using our plays in the offensive end.”
Katherine McIntire ’19 said, “In this game, we trusted each other and were able to move the ball better on offense while coordinating well on defense and causing strong turnovers, allowing us to get possession and transfer the ball. We also were able to execute some of the plays we have been working on in practice, which created many good opportunities for us to attack the net.”
In the second half, Andover set out to capitalize on its strong first half performance. The team’s inability to force turnovers and create opportunities for offensive possession, however, prevented it from scoring.
Kao said, “Right from the start and up until the very last second, everyone put forth their best effort. We worked together, lifted each other up and left it all on the field. The game was back and forth; we got ahead, then they caught up and got ahead, and then we started to come back but ran out of time.”
The game was largely determined by draw control. Governor’s outpaced Andover on several plays that amounted to goals. Andover will continue to work on midfield transitions to improve its spacing and cuts.
Kao said, “I think we need to stay poised and play smart throughout the game. Offensively, we are focusing on keeping possession and therefore controlling the game. With the focus on possession, we will look to improve our shot selection and placement in order to get the best shots and avoid turnovers. Defensively, we will work mostly on communicating the open player, when to slide and we will work on fronting their cutters.”
The team will face Tabor on Saturday and will look to improve its offensive strategy during practice this week.
