Eric Osband ’19 leads the team in steals this season.
In sudden-death overtime and fenced in by two Deerfield defenders, Neil Simpson ’19 sprinted across the pool and scorched a backhand into the net to secure Andover Boys Water Polo’s 15-14 win last Saturday.
Simpson said, “I knew if I missed it, it would be a rough bus ride back.”
Goalie Thomas Glover ’18 said, “We came into the game knowing they [Deerfield] were going to be tough opponents.”
Earlier in the season, Andover also defeated Deerfield 15-14 in overtime.
Jacob Hudgins ’19 said, “We had to bring our A-game. We went to overtime against them already once, and we didn’t want to lose this time, [so] we gave it all we had.”
Eric Osband ’19 scored five goals in the regular time.
“The referees were very tough and harsh against Andover. I got three ejections, so I was out for all the additional time. I really didn’t hope for additional time, but we were able to respond with good fast breaks and strong offense when Deerfield was able to score,” said Osband.
With many shots on goal, including a ten-yard skip shot by Ben Cakir ’19 and plays such as a six-on-five play in overtime, Andover was able to secure the win.
Despite its victory last week, however, Andover suffered a 16-5 loss to Exeter on Wednesday, concluding its regular season with a final record of 12-4.
Co-Captain Nick Isenhower ’18 said, “We were very hyped up for the game. If we won, we could have potentially been seeded first in New England before the championships. Exeter was hungry for another win against us, so we looked to match their energy. Unfortunately the first quarter gave us a tough run.”
“Their press was extremely challenging for us and we were not able to finish on offense. Our main skills we need to work on before the championships are definitely six-five offense and dealing with full court press,” continued Isenhower.
Andover Boys Water Polo will compete in the playoffs next week at Brunswick.
