After receiving the puck off of a goalie save, Lilly Feeney ’20 fired a shot into the far side of the net, scoring with just 0:44 seconds left in overtime. This goal capped off Andover Girls Hockey’s 3-2 win against Brooks on Monday.
Andover also competed in the Taft Tournament before Winter Vacation, where the team won against Lawrenceville 5-1 and Loomis Chaffee 5-4 but lost against Taft 0-3 and Tabor 2-3 in overtime. The team’s record is now 5-2.
In its match against Brooks on Monday, Andover let in two goals after leading 2-0, but strong effort and drive led to a win in the end, according to Co-Captain Sarah Rigazio ’18.
“I think that we started really strong, and the score was 2-0, but we broke down a little and let Brooks score two goals in one minute. We were pretty upset, but later in the game we definitely pulled it together and brought the energy back to win the game,” Rigazio said.
Tookie Wilson ’18 said, “I thought — especially in the third period — we really had the drive, and it was clear we wanted the win more. The way we were helping and pushing each other really showed that we had that extra factor pushing us.”
The win felt especially good for Andover as it came against one of its rivals, according to Wilson.
A large part of Andover’s success was due to the camaraderie and chemistry between the players and coaches, according to Anna Bargman ’21.
“We’ve gotten really close already, and it’s always so much fun with them. It’s really easy to trust everyone, and when we start to play well, it feels really good,” said Bargman.
The team’s friendship is a result of the time spent together at the Taft Tournament, according to Rigazio. During the tournament, the team not only grew closer but also worked hard, according to Bargman.
Rigazio said, “We’re a really close team, and a lot of that is due to bonding activities that we did. We’re best when we cheer each other on, and that motivation helps the team a lot.”
“I feel like the team really came together, and we really bonded and became good friends. We definitely gave it our all, and even after our losses, we came back with good, strong mindsets,” said Bargman.
These strong mindsets showed in their wins during the tournament, but there was also a lot of room for improvement, according to Rigazio and Wilson.
Rigazio said, “In the games that we lost, there was a lot of miscommunication, and we struggled to play together a little since the team is pretty new. Our chemistry on the ice needs some work.”
“Our communication could use some improvement. But even though we lost two games in the tournament, I’m really proud of our performance because we were playing higher tier teams, and we held our own,” said Wilson.
An opportunity for Andover to improve its teamwork came from a scrimmage against the ’04 Big Dogs, a local team of eighth graders. The scrimmage was an opportunity for prospective students to play on Andover’s campus and tour the new Snyder Center. Andover beat the Big Dogs 8-0.
Wilson said, “It was a great opportunity to practice as a team, and it was good to get to know people who have a chance of coming here and being on the Andover Girls Hockey teams.”
Andover will travel to St. Paul’s on Saturday.
