Emily Batchelor ’19 scored Andover’s first and third goals against Tabor and assisted Hannah Cuff ’21 on the second.
Abby Otterbein PG ’19 retained control of the ball on the offensive circle, dodged Tabor’s goaltender and found the back of the net. Otterbein’s goal was the first of two in Andover’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Governor’s on Wednesday. Andover also faced Tabor on Friday, winning 3-1 and pushing their season record to 5-0.
In its game against Tabor, Andover capitalized on its offensive advantages, scoring all three of its goals on corners. Andover was able to read the defense well, adjusting its play to overcome Tabor’s defense and score, according to Hannah Cuff ’21.
“We have specific corner plays that we practice, but in the game we did a good job reacting to the defense’s positioning and if needed changing the play,” Cuff wrote in an email to The Phillipian.
Andover was unable to score against Tabor until over halfway through the first half, when Emily Batchelor ’19 scored off of a rebound from a goalie save during a penalty corner, contributing to Andover’s 3-1 win.
Katie Wimmer ’21 said, “Our first goal was really memorable, just because we didn’t score until really late into the game. It was really good passing and it was scored off of a corner. I think that was a big turning point.”
Friday’s game featured strong performances on both the offensive and defensive ends. According to Wimmer, Linda Bibeau ’20 played a vital role in leading Andover’s defensive unit.
Wimmer said, “I think Linda did really well. It was really chaotic on [defense] because they were playing such aggressive offense and I think she really kept her composure and helped organize the D and keep the shots off.”
On Wednesday, Andover struggled throughout the first half, but saw an influx of energy after Otterbein’s goal in the second half, according to Cuff and Wimmer.
Cuff wrote, “Both teams had low energy in the first half, and Abby’s goal helped to get the momentum in Andover’s favor, and helped to start a more energetic second half.”
Otterbein and Gwyneth Lapp ’22 were key players in Wednesday’s game against Governors, according to their teammates.
Cuff wrote, “Abby Otterbein was a standout player for Wednesday’s game. She is incredibly fast and uses that to her advantage by quickly moving around the other team to produce fast breaks. She also can recognize opportunities and makes passes to open space to start off those plays.”
Despite Andover’s strong record, the team will continue to work to improve its ball movement, according to Kelly McCarthy ’19.
“Coming away from the [Governor’s] game, we know that we can do a better job at focusing on quickly moving the ball rather than trying to stickhandle through a lot of opponents. If we can move better off ball during a free hit, then there is a better likelihood that we can maintain control and get the ball deeper in our offensive zone,” wrote McCarthy in an email to The Phillipian.
Andover will travel to Choate on Saturday.
Editor’s Note: Linda Bibeau is an Associate Sports Editor for The Phillipian.
