With a 11-5-4 record and a fourth-place finish at the annual Taft Tournament, Andover Girls Hockey looks to continue its success against Phillips Exeter Academy this weekend. The team has not faced Exeter yet this season, and competition is anticipated to be tough as Exeter holds a similar 11-win record.
After tying Exeter 2-2 in last year’s home matchup, Andover is even more motivated to win heading into this season’s game, according to Molly MacQueen ’21.
MacQueen said, “After last year, there’s definitely some unfinished feelings going into it and we always want to win an A/E game… I think we’re going to carry in both the unfinished feelings of last year along with our goals for the season into the game and hopefully that’ll lead us to take it on with the right intensity.”
This year’s contest is especially important as Andover vies for a spot in the playoffs, according to Co-Captain Kelly McCarthy ’19 and Bridget Santos ’21.
“The Exeter game is one that we look forward to all season. We all know going into the game that no matter what your record is, the game is going to be a battle and anyone can win it. Especially this year we know that we are in a must-win situation for A/E because want to clinch a playoff spot, which is why I think everyone is more fired up than ever to wreck the Ex,” said McCarthy.
Santos added, “I think we’re really excited for the opportunity to prove to ourselves that we can beat them. Us and Exeter have both had really strong seasons this year, and this game is really important for us because a win or loss could determine if we make playoffs. So I think we’re trying to get ourselves as excited as we can because we know that’s when we all play our best.”
The team has been working on its consistency and mental focus in preparation for the game, according to Co-Captain Emily Batchelor ’19.
“Sometimes we find ourselves breaking down in areas where we shouldn’t be, and we find that we know what we should be doing but sometimes struggle to actually execute… Every single game at this point in the season is super important and it is crucial that we focus all of our energy and concentration into this game,” said Batchelor.
Andover will face Exeter at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
