Boys Soccer

Boys Soccer: Loss Pushes Andover to Shutout Victory

Co-Captain Peter Heckendorn ’17 launched a penalty kick over the goalie’s head and into the upper-righthand corner of the net, scoring the only goal in Andover Boys Soccer’s 3-1 loss against Taft last Saturday.

On Wednesday, the team rebounded with a 4-0 win against Bridgton. The team’s record now stands at 3-2-1.

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Against Taft, Andover’s defense held a strong back line, allowing only a few offensive opportunities. The team, however, struggled to adjust to Taft’s fast-pace approach towards the game, as well as its ability to put pressure on the ball.

Co-Captain Henry Meyerrose ’17 said, “We came out pretty slow. It was nice getting this clean sheet, but we’ve got to come out faster, stronger, and better for the upcoming games.”

Max Levi ’19 said, “It was a very unfortunate loss, but we win some and we lose some, and we can only learn from it.”

Despite its disappointing loss, Andover bounced back with the decisive win later on in the week.

Owen Glover ’19 keeps possesion of the ball against the Bridgton defender.

Newcomer Luc Pan ’19 and Heckendorn both contributed to the team’s victory, each scoring two goals for Andover.

“We started a bit slow but in the second half we started to find our rhythm, moved the ball well, and found the back of the net,” said Will Raphael ’18.

Heckendorn said, “I think it’s a great sign to all the kids in the program that they can make an impact. Winning this game felt good, very inspiring for the players.”

Hayden Weatherall ’18 said, “Against Bridgeton, we were able to put the ball in the back of the net. Going forward, we’ll need to use this confidence in the final third of the field against stronger teams.”

The team is wasting no time in preparing for its upcoming game against Choate on Saturday.

Raphael said, “In preparation for our other games, we can work on limiting our touches in every part of the field, improving our balls into the final third, and communicating with each other.”