After latching onto a tipped ball from Charlotte Welch ’18, Captain Beth Krikorian ’17 threaded a shot through the outstretched legs of the Middlesex goalie to cap off Andover’s 3-0 victory against Middlesex on Wednesday. This victory succeeded the team’s tough 4-0 loss to St. Paul’s on Saturday. Andover’s record now stands at 8-2.
Having lost to Middlesex in last year’s matchup, Andover was determined to bring home a win. The team focused on playing with positive energy to sustain its relentless offense.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Andover hosted its annual “Play for Pink” game, with both teams wearing pink jerseys. Both Andover and Middlesex dedicate this game each year to play for those affected by breast cancer.
Jackie McCarthy ’19 said, “There’s something about playing for something bigger than us that was really powerful. Everyone came out and gave it their all one hundred percent of the time, whether that meant running for the extra ball or cheering your heart out. Everyone’s collective energy fueled the whole team.”
Despite not scoring any goals in the first half, Andover increased its momentum. Within the first few minutes of the second half, Emily Batchelor ’19 tapped the ball into the back of the net to score the team’s first goal.
Andover continued to dominate the game by maneuvering the ball on offense and making smart plays. Feeding off of the energy from Batchelor’s goal, the team increased its intensity and both Welch and Krikorian smashed in goals, leading to Andover’s 3-0 win.
Commenting on the team’s attitude, Krikorian said, “Our intensity was our greatest asset today. It was a fun game and it meant a lot because it was our ‘Play for Pink’ game. It was great that we came out strong not just for ourselves but for those who we are representing by wearing pink.”
Andover’s victory against Middlesex was a triumphant rebound from its tough 4-0 loss against St. Paul’s on Saturday.
Andover started the game sluggishly, conceding a goal. Brooke Keough ’19 said, “We could have made it a closer game in the first half because they didn’t totally dominate. They were the fastest team we had seen this year, and we weren’t used to it.”
Despite the slow start, Andover was able to create offensive opportunities.
In an email to The Phillipian, Charlotte Welch wrote, “We had a good amount of chances [to score], but we couldn’t capitalize.”
Entering the second half down only one goal, Andover was desperate to make a comeback. While the team overextended offensively, Andover’s opponent double-teamed the defense and tapped in three more consecutive goals.
McCarthy said, “We lost our composure after the second goal in the second half. That’s not something we’ve ever done before. We usually rally after a call doesn’t go our way, so that was something we had to deal with.”
Despite the loss on Saturday, Andover made an effort to take positives from the game.
In an email to The Phillipian, Krikorian wrote, “It was up to us to change the momentum of the rest of the season after the loss so it was great to see us come out so strong against Middlesex and fix what we didn’t do from St. Paul’s.”
This week, the team will travel to Northfield Mount Hermon in hopes of beginning another win streak.
