Co-Captain Krystiana Swain ’18 dribbled the ball down the sideline, breaking away from defenders and getting a clean shot on goal only to be denied by Pingree’s goalkeeper. Despite many efforts such as these, Andover Girls Soccer tied Pingree in a score of 0-0. Andover’s record now stands at 2-2-1.
Goalkeeper Emily Hardy ’20 said, “The team’s performance was very strong. We competed with Pingree for the entire game, and it was a very even matchup. We had a lot of good opportunities on goal, and we weren’t able to get one into the back of the net, which happens.”
The attacking line pressured the goal for the duration of the game, but came up short. “As a group, I think we did feel a bit of pressure as the game went on with no score, but we did a very good job of staying focused and composed during the final minutes of the game,” added Hardy.
Addressing the depth of the team, goalkeeper Kennedy Everson ’21 said, “There were multiple chances on goal beginning with defensive players. This allowed the team to be more aggressive up front and have more shots on goal, however, we were stopped by their team’s goalie.”
The team was plagued with injuries Monday, giving new players such as Karoline Conte ’21, a defensive midfielder, an opportunity to make a greater impact. Conte was awarded Player of the Game by Head Coach Lisa Joel for her dedication and versatility.
“Conte stood out during our game against Pingree. She was aggressive in the midfield and did a great job of tracking back and helping out on defense,” said Hardy.
The team relied on both normal starters and bench players because of the numerous injuries. Describing the importance of bench players, Conte said, “I knew we didn’t have a lot of healthy players so everyone would receive lots of playing time. The team rolled out in the gym as music was being blasted… I hope all of our positive energy translates into [the] next game.”
Andover will face Choate on Saturday.