With a strong 13-6 record, Andover Girls Hockey looks to continue its success this season as it faces off with Phillips Exeter Academy this Saturday. With last year’s 7-0 victory, the team has been undefeated against Exeter for the last four years.
Kelly McCarthy ’19 said, “The game plan going into [Andover/Exeter] is to not hold anything back. This game, just like every other one this year, is so important. We all know how important this game is to clinching a playoff spot, but at the end of the day, we have to play it like every other game. We have to bring intensity, focus, and tons of energy this Saturday.”
In addition, Andover aims to carry its energy from this week’s game against Loomis Chaffee, the former number-one ranked team in the Nepsac league, which Andover won with a score of 3-1.
Co-Captain Charlotte Welch ’18 said, “Our strength in [the Loomis] game was prioritizing our energy. Maintaining it throughout the game is so crucial, and the support and hard work on and off the ice was so helpful.”
Head Coach Martha Fenton ’83 added, “We will need to play smart, aggressive hockey in order to beat [Exeter]. The girls move the puck beautifully and play a very unselfish style of hockey that is hard to defend against when we are on our game. We will need to bring our best against Exeter on Saturday because, no matter what the records are, this game always feels like the biggest game of the year.”
Additionally, Andover must beat Exeter in order to make it to playoffs this season. Though the team’s hopes were boosted by the win over Loomis, the game against Exeter is a mustwin in order for the team to make it into the eight-team playoff.
Andover will host Exeter for a 2:00 p.m. game this Saturday.
